4/7/10

art | helen frankenthaler exhibit

two san francisco art galleries are presenting landmark exhibitions of paintings by helen frankenthaler and richard diebenkorn during april, may, and june 2010.

helen frankenthaler | paintings 1961-1973 at the john berggruen gallery opened on 1 april 2010 and runs through 22 may 2010.

helen frankenthaler (b.1928), who was influenced by the techniques of abstract expressionist painters such as jackson pollock, willem de kooning, and mark rothko, led the color field painting movement in new york during the 1950's.  she developed a gestural painting technique that, by pouring paint over an unprimed instead of a primed canvas, allowed the paint to penetrate and stain the surface.

here are some highlights from the show, which features rarely exhibited paintings from the collections of the artist and other private collectors.

some of the earliest paintings in the exhibition include provincetown l from 1961 and pivitol square from 1962. 
helen frankenthaler | provincetown l | 1961 | oil on canvas | 92x101 inches
helen frankenthaler | pivitol square | 1962 | oil on canvas | 56x62 inches 
photo john berggruen gallery | san francisco CA 
 



























helen frankenthaler | gulf stream | 1963 | oil and acrylic on canvas | 86x65 inches
helen frankenthaler | mountain pool | 1963 | acrylic on canvas | 48x78 inches
photo john berggruen gallery | san francisco CA
helen frankenthaler | orange underline | 1963 | acrylic on canvas | 55x71 inches
photo john berggruen gallery | san francisco CA

the san francisco museum of modern art loaned interior landscape from 1964 to the berggruen gallery for the exhibition.
  



























helen frankenthaler | interior landscape | 1964 | acrylic on canvas | 104x92 inches
photo john berggruen gallery | san francisco CA  

according to art scholar, barbara rose, coalition from 1968 is 'among the finest paintings produced anywhere in the late sixties'.




























helen frankenthaler | coalition | 1968 | acrylic on canvas | 83x75 inches
photo john berggruen gallery | san francisco CA

but, harold rosenberg, a new york art critic and proponent of the abstract expressionist movement, described frankenthaler's post-1960's work as 'mere interior decoration'. 
helen frankenthaler | moveable blue | 1973 | acrylic on canvas | 70x243 inches
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