[6] Alongside the compositional techniques on which Hofmann's instruction was focused, Follett referenced Surrealism and Dada as major influences on her practice.
[8][9] Follett was one of the first American artists to use junk metal to create such hybrid objects, and her technique influenced the style of her studio mate, Richard Stankiewicz, a sculptor who also studied with Hofmann.
The pair cultivated a friendship with Jean Dubuffett, whose studio was just down the block; his art brut style informed Follett's approach to figuration and abstraction.
[1] Follett was active in the independent gallery and New York School scenes: Robert Frank referred to her as his favorite artist, and Richard Bellamy often came by for studio visits.
A 1962 studio fire destroyed much of her existing artwork and that loss, combined with declining health and financial instability, turned out to be insurmountable.
The wedding took place after a long engagement, as their earlier plans had been postponed because of World War II military service.
[2] As a student at Hans Hofmann's school, Follett met and became romantically involved with Richard Stankiewicz, her future studio mate; that relationship ended in the late 1940s.
[1] Follett maintained a decades-long, long-distance friendship with the Newfoundland artist Rae Perlin, who had lived for a short time in New York City.