Betty Parsons: An Interview

Betty Parsons (1900-1982) was an influential art dealer in mid to late 20th century New York. She used her gallery as an influential advocate for the abstract avant-garde, and was renowned for championing new styles and new artists well before they received wider recognition or commercial success. Notable examples of Parson's circle include abstract expressionist giants Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still. Throughout her career, Parsons continued to pursue new and fresh artistic voices launching the early careers of Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Richard Tuttle, among many others. Parsons herself was also an active artist. Among her most recognizable pieces are painted assemblages, cobbled together from driftwood and carpentry leftovers.

In this interview with Kate Horsfield, Parsons discusses the start of her own career, including her first exhibition in Paris in 1927.

A historical interview originally recorded in 1975 and re-edited in 2006 with support from the Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund.