Make Room for Color Field

Color Field painting, which emerged in the 1950s, is characterized by the primacy of large swaths of radiant hues, and the interactions of color and form. It refers to the technique of thinning and applying paint to unprimed canvas, often by pouring, soaking and staining the material—the color literally becomes a part of the picture’s surface. This process is a delicate balance of skill and chance.

Make Room for Color Field, consisting of four works by Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis and Jules Olitski, is an installation made possible by a group of donors and friends of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The gift of a painting from Dr. Luther Brady inspired additional gifts and loans and was the impetus behind this presentation of beautiful abstract paintings.

Exhibition overview from museum website

Image: Helen Frankenthaler, American (1928–2011). Elberta, 1975. Acrylic on canvas, 79 x 97 inches. Private Collection. © 2015 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.