Helen Frankenthaler Mixed Media
American, 1928-2011
Prolific and pioneering painter Helen Frankenthaler said it was “a combination of impatience, laziness and innovation” that drove her to thin her paints with turpentine so that they would seep into the fabric of an unprimed canvas. Her breakthrough in the early 1950s led the way for a spellbinding new style of painting that would come to be known as Color Field.
Although Color Field is often considered a strain of Abstract Expressionism, Frankenthaler’s work differed from the gestural “Action Painting” that typified the paintings of artists like Willem de Kooning and Lee Krasner. Her vast and immersive expanses of color created at a fearless scale captivated art critics and greatly influenced her peers including Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland.
Frankenthaler knew from an early age that she wanted to be a painter. The youngest daughter of a New York State Supreme Court justice, she grew up on Manhattan’s Park Avenue and as a child delighted in the little ways color and form revealed themselves, whether dribbling red nail polish in a sink full of water or drawing her steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to her family’s apartment. As a student at Bennington College, her rare vision was enriched by the mentorship of painter Paul Feeley, who gave her lessons in Cubism. After dabbling in art history at Columbia University, she rented a studio downtown and befriended rising New York art stars like Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell, whom she later married.
Characterized by “direct, exuberant gestures,” the Abstract Expressionist technique was all about gusto, and Frankenthaler had it in spades. One of the few women of this era to garner widespread critical acclaim, Frankenthaler had a significant impact on the mid-20th-century art world. She exhibited in the high-profile 1951 Ninth Street Show and, in 1957, she appeared in a Life magazine spread on women artists photographed by Gordon Parks. In 1960, the Jewish Museum held her first major museum show, a retrospective of her 1950s work. A 1969 solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art further introduced Frankenthaler to the broader art world.
While Frankenthaler remains best known for bold, expressive “soak-stain” paintings such as Mountains and Sea (1952), she worked across diverse media for decades, with forays into woodcutting, drawing and printmaking that also pushed boundaries. She also taught at Harvard, Yale and Princeton, fostering generations of artists. She died in 2011.
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Artist: Helen Frankenthaler
Book: Works on Paper 1949-1984 (Hand signed & inscribed by Helen Frankenthaler)
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Winning buyer: Try entering code FREESHIP for complimentary packing and shipping at checkout. (Some exceptions apply)
Helen Frankenthaler
Frankenthaler, Works on Paper 1949-1984 (Han...
Category
1980s Abstract Expressionist Helen Frankenthaler Mixed Media
Materials
Offset
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Helen Frankenthaler mixed media for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Helen Frankenthaler mixed media available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Helen Frankenthaler in offset print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1980s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Helen Frankenthaler mixed media, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sandy Kinnee, Robert Motherwell, and Frank Stella. Helen Frankenthaler mixed media prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $880 and tops out at $880, while the average work can sell for $880.
Artists Similar to Helen Frankenthaler
Questions About Helen Frankenthaler Mixed Media
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Helen Frankenthaler was known for her Abstract-expressionist art. She became well known for her 1952 painting Mountains and Sea. It was the first time she employed the soak-stain painting technique that would become a hallmark of her later work. You'll find a variety of Helen Frankenthaler art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Helen Frankenthaler is an American abstract expressionist painter that was known for inventing a technique referred to as soak-stain. Soak staining is a process using thinned paint and raw canvas, similar to painting fabric. Shop a range of Helen Frankenthaler work on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Helen Frankenthaler mostly did paintings. The American artist's work reflects the characteristics of Abstract Expressionism. Mountains and Sea, Snow Pines, Aerie and Grey Fireworks are among her most famous paintings. You can find a range of Helen Frankenthaler art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024You can see Helen Frankenthaler paintings in a few places. Her works are part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in California and the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition, the artist's paintings are often part of exhibitions around the world. Check the official website of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation for upcoming dates and locations. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Helen Frankenthaler art.