‘My work is not a matter of direct translations, but something is bound to creep into your head or heart.’ HELEN FRANKENTHALER
Celebrating printmaking pioneer and fearless artist, Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011), the Dulwich Picture Gallery proudly opens ‘Radical Beauty’ today-The first major UK exhibition of Frankenthaler’s 36 woodcuts. It is an honour to witness the ethereal quality of her abstract paintings that feel spontaneous and ambiguous and span 36 years. On special loan from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in New York, the exhibition shows how Frankenthaler challenged the parameters of woodcut printmaking to produce painterly prints that gave new life to the medium and encouraged artists both in the past and now to be open to new possibilities. No rules were her guiding mantra throughout her 60-year career- hence her no rules attitude, and the experimental nature of her work made her see each print as a new adventure. Collaboration in the print workshops was also pivotal in energising her creativity.
Frankenthaler was one of the most important Abstract Expressionists out there known for the spontaneity of her style. This exhibition of her woodcuts is calming yet empowering, reminding us of what it means to be artistically free. Let’s just say she changed the face of printmaking.
http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Gallery Opening Hours
Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm. Closed Mondays & Tuesdays except Bank Holidays.
Reviewed by Julia Nelson, a member of the Abundant Art Team, leading our PR and generously contributing to our ‘Reviews’!
