Curator Talk: Douglas Dreishpoon

Eminent among a second generation of postwar American abstract artists, Helen Frankenthaler’s invention of the soak-stain technique expanded abstract painting possibilities while referencing figuration and landscape in unique ways. During the 1990s, as her practice continued to evolve through the use of diverse media and processes, she naturally transitioned from tackling canvases on the floor to using larger sheets of paper laid out on the floor or tabletops for easier accessibility. The continuity between the late work and what came before is striking—the fruits of an intuitive journey graced by mood, imagination, and technical facility.

The exhibition is organized by Douglas Dreishpoon, director of the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné and Chief Curator Emeritus at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, with loans and in-kind support provided by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.