Author Interview: Claudia Fontaine Chidester's "Trusted Eye"

ArtCurious Podcast

ArtCurious

Arts, History, Visual Arts

4.8 • 847 Ratings

🗓️ 7 March 2022

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I recently had the good fortune to chat with Claudia Fontaine Chidester, whose latest book, Trusted Eye: Post-World War II Adventures of a Fearless Art Advocate, is available now. Trusted Eye is a compelling narrative of an American wife and mother finding her place amid the rubble of war-torn Germany. Virginia Fontaine fought continually for recognition—as a woman, a photographer, an art curator, and, perhaps most importantly, a liaison between beleaguered German artists and the outside world. Through journals, letters, and photographs, she recorded her uniquely intimate perspective on this period, amid an ever-changing constellation of artists and friends. Fontaine documented her life from a young age: her struggles at Yale Art School, her year as a newlywed in the British Virgin Islands, and her employment in a munitions factory. Later, she helped the Jewish underground in Europe; traveled with gallerists throughout Germany, Switzerland, and France; tangled with the Monuments Men; and experienced the international reach of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anticommunist pursuits. Essays by art experts Graeme Reid and Dorothea Schöne illuminate Fontaine's early years in Milwaukee and her impact on German art culture in the early postwar years. Trusted Eye is both a biography and a visual almanac for an intricate slice of the twentieth century. Please enjoy this bonus episode, featuring my discussion, via Zoom, with Claudia. New episodes of ArtCurious coming soon! Please SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts and FOLLOW on Spotify Twitter / Instagram / Facebook Don’t forget to show your support for our show by purchasing ArtCurious swag from TeePublic! Buy Trusted Eye here SPONSORS: Magic Mind: Get 20% off your purchase of this “magical little elixir” with our special promo code ARTCURIOUS20. Indeed: Listeners get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post Kiwi Co: Get 30% off your first month plus FREE shipping on ANY crate line with promo code ARTCURIOUS Mint Mobile: Get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE BetterHelp: Get 10% off your first month of counseling Want to advertise/sponsor our show? We have partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email [email protected] or click the link below to get started. https://www.advertisecast.com/ArtCuriousPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:22.0	Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
0:24.4	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:30.0	Hello there, listeners.
0:31.8	Jennifer here, and I hope you are enjoying your time between our current seasons of Art Curious.
0:37.1	As promised, I am popping back in your feed this month, March 22, with a couple of interviews that I have the pleasure of recording recently. Today's conversation features Claudia Fontaine Chidester, whose new book, Trusted I, post-World War II adventures of a fearless art advocate, is available now.
0:56.9	Trusted Eye is a compelling narrative of an American wife and mother finding her place amid the
1:02.0	rubble of war-torn Germany. Virginia Fontaine fought continually for recognition as a woman, a photographer,
1:08.9	an art curator, and perhaps most importantly, a liaison between
1:12.9	beleaguered German artists and the outside world. Through journals, letters, and photographs,
1:18.5	she recorded her uniquely intimate perspective on this period amid an ever-changing constellation
1:24.3	of artists and friends. Fontaine documented her life from a young age,
1:29.2	including her struggles at Yale Art School, her year as a newlywed in the British Virgin Islands,
1:34.5	and her employment in a munitions factory. Later, she helped the Jewish underground in Europe,
1:39.9	traveled with gallerists throughout Germany, Switzerland, and France, tangled with the Monuments Men,
1:45.0	and experienced the international reach of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist pursuits.
1:50.8	Essays in this book include ones by art experts Graham Reed and Dorothea Schoen,
1:55.4	and they illuminate Fontaine's early years in Milwaukee and her impact on German art culture in the early post-war years.
2:02.6	So Trusted Eye is both a biography and a visual almanac for an intricate slice of the 20th century.
	...

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