Helen Frankenthaler Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Helen
Frankenthaler

Helen Frankenthaler was a prominent American Abstract Expressionist painter, renowned for her pioneering "soak-stain" technique which created vibrant, colour-saturated fields. Her career spanned six decades, contributing significantly to post-World War II American art. If you’re looking for Frankenthaler original prints and editions for sale or would like to sell, request a complimentary valuation and browse our network’s most in-demand works.

Biography

Helen Frankenthaler was a groundbreaking American artist, born on December 12, 1928, in New York City. She grew up in a cultured, affluent family that encouraged her artistic inclinations from a young age. Frankenthaler's early work was shaped by Abstract Expressionists like Williem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, yet she quickly developed a unique style that distinguished her in the art world. During the 1950s, Frankenthaler made a significant breakthrough with her "soak-stain" technique. This method involved diluting oil paints and applying them to unprimed canvas, allowing the colours to soak into the fabric and creating ethereal, luminous fields of colour that seemed to float on the canvas – a stark departure from the thick, gestural brushstrokes of her contemporaries.

Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, Frankenthaler continued to evolve, experimenting with new mediums and techniques. Although her style fluctuated between abstraction and a loose representation, it always maintained a focus on colour relationships and composition. Frankenthaler's contributions to Abstract Expressionism and the larger art world were profound, influencing generations of artists after her. She passed away on December 27, 2011, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering artist who reshaped the landscape of American abstract art.

Frankenthaler's career as an artist was marked by innovation and a profound influence on the course of American abstract painting. She embarked on her artistic journey under the guidance of influential mentors and through her own relentless experimentation and exploration. One of her early mentors was Rufino Tamayo, a renowned Mexican muralist, under whom she studied while at the Dalton School. His use of vivid colours and emotional intensity had a lasting impact on her artistic development. Later, at Bennington College, Paul Feeley, a modernist painter, further shaped her approach to art. Feeley's emphasis on basic forms and colours resonated with Frankenthaler, laying the groundwork for her future explorations.

Frankenthaler's breakthrough came with the development of her innovative soak-stain technique, which she first showcased in her 1952 masterpiece Mountains and Sea. This work, created when she was only 23 years old, marked a turning point in her career and in the evolution of post-World War II American art. The painting's ethereal, watercolour-like quality, which was achieved by thinning oil paint and applying it to unprimed canvas, challenged the thick textured brush strokes prevalent in Abstract Expressionism at the time. Mountains and Sea laid the groundwork for the expansion of the Colour Field movement, influencing artists like Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland, who were struck by the painting's innovative technique and emotional depth.

Frankenthaler’s body of work includes not just paintings but also woodcuts and prints, showing her versatility and willingness to experiment with different mediums. She explored various themes and styles, from more structured compositions in her earlier works to freer, more spontaneous pieces in her later years. Notable works like Eden and The Bay further exemplify her mastery of colour and form, showcasing her ability to convey depth and emotion through abstract representation. Frankenthaler's dedication to her craft, combined with her unique vision and technique, solidified her place as a leading presence in Abstract art. Her work has been the subject of several retrospectives, notably one at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1989.

Frankenthaler's soak-stain technique was the revolutionary approach to painting which she developed in the early 1950s, forever altering the landscape of abstract art. This method involved diluting oil paints with turpentine or other solvents before applying them to unprimed canvases. This process allowed the thinned paint to soak into the canvas, creating a stained effect that is reminiscent of watercolour. The technique was a significant departure from the thick impasto style of her abstract expressionist peers, and it allowed for the creation of fluid, translucent colour fields that appear to merge seamlessly with the canvas, imparting a sense of depth and luminosity.
Frankenthaler's innovative approach was partly inspired by Pollock's action painting but – whereas he dripped and splattered – she poured her thinned paints, using gravity to guide the flow of colour. This method resulted in a more organic and less controlled outcome, with the hues spreading and blending in unpredictable ways. The soak-stain technique gave her works a characteristic softness and subtlety, contrasting with the bold compositions of her predecessors and contemporaries. It also allowed Frankenthaler to explore the interplay of colours in new ways, layering thin veils of paint and creating complex colour relationships, with hues blending, contrasting and interacting across the canvas. Throughout her career, Frankenthaler continued to refine and evolve her technique, experimenting with different paints, mediums and canvases. Her willingness to innovate and push the boundaries of abstract painting cemented her status as a major figure in 20th-century art. Frankenthaler's technique remains influential, with contemporary artists continuing to draw inspiration from her approach to colour, form and their relationship to the canvas itself.
Frankenthaler’s exploration of colour dynamics became a hallmark of her work and influenced many other artists. Her influence on the Colour Field movement was profound and pivotal, as highlighted by her participation in the seminal 1964 exhibition Post-Painterly Abstraction, curated by Clement Greenberg. This exhibition was crucial in defining and disseminating the principles of the Colour Field movement, as it emphasised a new form of abstraction that moved away from the emotional intensity and gestural brushstrokes of Abstract Expressionism towards a clearer, more open composition. Frankenthaler's work exemplified these ideals. Post-Painterly Abstraction secured Frankenthaler's place in the art world and marked a defining moment in the evolution of post-war American art, signifying a transition from the emotive Abstract Expressionism to a more serene yet deeply engaging form of abstraction.
Throughout her career – and particularly evident in exhibitions like Greenberg's – Frankenthaler continued to explore the interplay of colours. Her contribution to the Colour Field movement through these explorations was not just through her unique technique, but also in her approach to using colour as a medium for conveying complex emotions and ideas.
Frankenthaler is also known for her relationship with artist Robert Motherwell, a personal and professional partnership that played a significant role in shaping American modern art. The two artists married in 1958, a marriage that lasted until 1971. This period marked a vibrant phase in their respective careers, as they both were prominent figures in the post-World War II abstract art scene: their relationship was a union of creative minds. Frankenthaler and Motherwell inspired and influenced each other's work, though they maintained distinct styles and artistic identities. Frankenthaler brought a unique approach to colour and composition that complemented Motherwell's more gestural and expressionist style. Their shared interests in abstraction and exploration of form and colour theory created a dynamic synergy in their work.
During their marriage, Frankenthaler and Motherwell were part of a larger circle of abstract expressionist artists, including Pollock, Lee Krasner and de Kooning. They often exchanged ideas and critiqued each other's work, contributing to a vibrant artistic community. Despite their personal relationship ending in 1971, Frankenthaler and Motherwell continued to respect each other's work and remained influential figures in the art world. However, their relationship also highlighted the challenges and complexities of being a female artist married to a more established male artist. While Motherwell was already a well-known figure in the art world at the time of their marriage, Frankenthaler had to navigate her own path to recognition and suffered accusations that he helped her career. Over time, she established herself as a significant artist in her own right, not merely as Motherwell's wife, and became a key figure in the development of postwar American abstract art.