Helen Frankenthaler
Paintings 1961-1973
April 1 - June 26, 2010Statement
John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present a landmark exhibition of Helen Frankenthaler paintings from 1961-1973, the first time such a group of paintings has been exhibited on the West Coast. An opening reception will be held on April 1, from 5:30-7:30. A catalogue with color plates, a complete chronology of the artist's career, and other scholarly materials is being published to accompany the exhibition. The catalogue is available for purchase through the gallery.
Paintings 1961-1973 features major paintings from the artist's private collection, as well as rarely exhibited works from private collections. Among the early works in the exhibition are Pink Bird Figure, Provincetown I (both 1961) and Pivotal Square, 1962. A strong group of the paintings from 1963 includes Moat, Mountain Pool, Orange Underline, and Gulf Stream. Highlights from the late sixties include Bride's Door, 1967 and Coalition, 1968, which has been described by scholar Barbara Rose as "among the finest paintings produced anywhere in the late sixties." The exhibition concludes with works from the early seventies, Winter Energy, 1972, and Moveable Blue, 1973.
The present exhibition is the result of a long relationship between the artist and the John Berggruen Gallery spanning nearly the entire forty year history of the gallery and seven exhibitions, six of major paintings. Helen Frankenthaler likewise has a long history with the city of San Francisco. Interior Landscape, 1964, on display at the Berggruen gallery in conjunction with the exhibition, was acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's Women's Board for the permanent collection in 1968, and Frankenthaler's work is regularly featured in major museum exhibitions in San Francisco and throughout California.
Helen Frankenthaler is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards. Her work is represented in most major museums throughout the world, such as the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; National Galleries of Edinburgh; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Artists
Helen Frankenthaler
Exhibition Works
Granada, 1953 Oil on canvas 48 x 50 inches 121.92 x 127 cm
Pink Bird Figure, 1961 Oil on canvas 71 x 93 ½ inches 180 x 237 cm
Provincetown I, 1961 Oil on canvas 92 ¾ x 101 ¾ inches 235 x 258 cm
Pivotal Square, 1962 Oil on canvas 56 x 62 ½ inches 142 x 159 cm
Moat, 1963 Oil on canvas 71 ½ x 49 inches 182 x 124 cm
September Image, 1963 Oil on canvas 53 ¾ x 52 inches 137 x 132 cm
Gulf Stream, 1963 Oil and acrylic on canvas 86 x 65 inches 218.44 x 165.1 centimeters
Mountain Pool, 1963 Acrylic on canvas 48 ½ x 78 ¾ inches 123 x 200 cm
Orange Underline, 1963 Acrylic on canvas 55 x 71 ¼ inches 140 x 181 cm
Interior Landscape, 1964 Acrylic on canvas 104 ¾ x 92 ¾ inches 266 x 236 cm
Bias Blue, 1965 Acrylic on canvas 28 x 81 inches 71 x 208 cm
Bride's Door, 1967 Acrylic on canvas 82 3/8 x 61 ¾ inches 209 x 157 cm
Coalition, 1968 Acrylic on canvas 83 x 75 ½ inches 211 x 192 cm
Winter Energy, 1972 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 58 ½ inches 91 x 149 cm
Moveable Blue, 1973 Acrylic on canvas 70 x 243 inches 178 x 617 cm
