Helen Frankenthaler

Artist Biography

Helen Frankenthaler was born on December 12, 1928. She is an American abstract expressionist artist. Born in New York City, her srt, prints and posters are influenced by Jackson Pollock. She later married fellow artist Robert Motherwell.

Her career was launched in 1952 with the exhibition of Mountains and Sea. In it, she introduced the style of painting directly on to an unprepared canvas, so that the material absorbs the colors. This style, known as "soak stain” was imitated by other artists (notably Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland) and launched the "Color Field” school of painting art, prints and posters.

Frankenthaler has taught and lectured throughout the world and served on the Fulbright Selection Committee and the National Council on the Arts of the National Endowment for the Arts, among other such posts. She received numerous awards internationally for her art, prints and posters, including the New York City Mayors Award of Honour for Arts and Culture and the Distinguished Artists Award for Lifetime Achievement, College Art Association, 1994, and countless honorary degrees.

Helen Frankenthaler Art, Prints and Posters Collection