Abstract Expressionism: Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1992)

Violet Cypress, 1964

oil on canvas 195 x 130 cm.

Untitled

This abstract work on paper, titled Untitled, is by the second-generation Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell.

• Subject and Composition: The composition is centered around an energetic, tangled knot of calligraphic strokes and expressive gestures on a raw white background. The linear marks swirl and intersect dynamically, creating a sense of movement and emotional immediacy.

• Medium and Technique: Rendered in pastel and oil pastel (or crayon) on paper, the work showcases Mitchell's signature physical approach. The marks range from sharp, agitated scribbles to soft, smudged washes and delicate drips near the bottom, blending drawing and painting into a single gesture.

• Color Palette: The color scheme features an expressive mix of vibrant jewel tones—deep violet, cerulean blue, teal, warm orange, magenta, and mustard yellow. These intense colors overlap and interact, generating contrast and luminosity against the surrounding white space.

Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011)

Elberta, 1975
acrylic on canvas, 200.7 x 246.4 cm

Caffeine, 1975  

Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011) was an American abstract expressionist painter, celebrated as one of the great artists of the twentieth century. Her career spanned six decades, and she played a pivotal role in the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Color Field painting. Notably, her work “Mountains and Sea” (1952) employed a technique called Soak Stain, which had the effect of watercolor despite being painted in oils.