For another week and a half, visitors of the Gagosian Gallery in New York will be able to view a major exhibition dedicated to Helen Frankenthaler’s (1928-2011) paintings from the 1950s. Frankenthaler, one of the few female artists involved in the Abstract Expressionist movement, was a major force in 20th century American art. Nevertheless, Frankenthaler has not had the lasting adulation that her male Ab-Ex counterparts such as Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Mark Rothko (1903-1970) have enjoyed. In fact, the Gagosian exhibition is the first show in three decades devoted to Frankenthaler’s work.
Painted on 21st Street: Helen Frankenthaler from 1950 to 1959, which was organized in cooperation with the Estate of Helen Frankenthaler, brings together nearly 30 paintings, many of which have rarely been seen. The show was curated by John Elderfield, the Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and author of the foremost monograph on Frankenthaler’s, and includes paintings from Frankenthaler’s estate as well as private and public collections. Highlights from the exhibition include Painted on 21st Street (1950-51), Mountains and Sea (1952), and Jacob’s Ladder (1957). The Gagosian exhibition spans the considerable range and diversity of Frankenthaler’s paintings and illustrates how she synthesized certain aspects of her counterparts work to create an entirely new approach to Abstract Expressionism.
Painted on 21st Street will be on view through April 13, 2013.
