Marian Zazeela

15 April 1940 - 28 March 2024

Marian Zazeela died last week. We had a close friend in common, but never met.  I heard a great deal about her over the last 35 years. At one point I was asked to curate a show of work by Jack Smith from her collection, but it never happened.  Because of COVID and partly from our being too busy with other projects and then finally our friend's death.  Still, I've already made many posts centered around her activities with Jack and felt I needn't rush to make another when rightly there were a plethora of tributes far and wide. 

Marian's drawings have become better known in recent years, as they should be.  For many years her best known graphic work was the cover for the Beautiful Book. Not that it isn't beautiful. Thankfully shows at Printed Matter Inc. & the Drawing Center have gone some way in rectifying that situation. She's belatedly being known as a great draughtswoman.  At least it happened before she died.

The 3 pictures directly above are frames from Flaming Creatures with Marian flanked by Irving and Lamont, the man who brought her to Jack Smith and the man who took her away, wrecking his plans.  The picture below is a frame from Warhol's Screen Test of her.  

RIP.  May her Name be a Blessing.