Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) was a prominent American Abstract Expressionist painter who was pivotal in the transition to Color Field painting. She is best known for pioneering the “soak-stain” technique, which she first used in her groundbreaking 1952 painting, Mountains and Sea. This method involved pouring thinned oil paint directly onto an unprimed canvas, allowing the colors to soak in and become one with the fabric, creating luminous, translucent washes. This innovative approach celebrated the spontaneous flow of color and the integrity of the canvas, profoundly influencing other artists. Over her six-decade career, Frankenthaler’s work, often inspired by nature, was exhibited internationally and is held in major museum collections around the world.
