all typings index

arshile gorky
infp, 4w5 self-preservation, noca!e

no preference
e i
n s
f t
p j


"Arshile Gorky, was in his personal habits, an aristocrat, in his emotions, a romantic, and in his splendid intellect, unclassifiable. But the most salient thing in him, one that fused many disparate attributes, was his unswerving devotion to art, not an attitude, nor a self-consciousness, but an endeavor in which he was primarily and constantly engaged." --Margaret Osborn

Arshile Gorky was a sterling example of a true Bohemian, dedicated through and through to his art and unwavering in his sedulous devotion to pushing his boundaries further than had ever been seen. Perhaps his early adult life would be best characterized by "his quest for identity," plainly laced into words by Guggenheim curator Diane Waldman. His tragic childhood played a major part in a growing attachment to his Armenian identity, arguably becoming an impetus for much of his work.

But through emotional cultivation driven by his love for the unknown, the abstract, and challenges he would foresee, Arshile Gorky flourished as an artist and made irreplaceable strides in expressionist art that have long since sealed a legacy. His personality was probably just as erratic and bizarre as his art: in Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work, friends and colleagues of his describe him being "strong," but also "sensitive," "easily excitable," but also "quiet," "spontaneous" but also "planned," and yet despite these contradictions, a theme sticks out that Margaret Osborn would have also picked up on: Arshile Gorky was a commander--he first and foremost served art and would do just about anything to protect it.

"Aggressive," "bossy," "taking it by the reins," and possibly most importantly "conflicted" were ways Arshile had been described in his late childhood. I'm having a lot of trouble telling whether or not he was more a perceiver or a judger, but I can see him being a perceiver despite him wanting to take control of his art simply because he seems explorative and experimental in a way which would resemble a perceiver's... his bossy side seemed more like an occasional measure rather than a general attitude. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79222

I think he's an INFP, and probably a 4w5.