Helen Frankenthaler
Color field pioneer of soak-stain technique.
Most quoted
"There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about."
— from Interview/Statement
"A really good picture looks as if it was meant to be that way. But that's the difficulty: to make a picture that looks effortlessly right."
— from Interview, 1980
"I didn't think the paintings looked like landscapes, but they were landscapes. The landscapes were in my arms as I did it."
— from Interview, 1953
All quotes by Helen Frankenthaler (100)
Painting heals the wounds of the mind.
Abstraction is reality distilled.
I chase the light in every hue.
Wisdom comes from the palette's wisdom.
Life is a canvas; paint boldly.
The artist's eye sees beyond the visible.
Stains tell tales of accidental genius.
In art, vulnerability is strength.
My reflections on canvas are eternal.
Humor in art? It's the unexpected splash.
Politics of color: red for passion, blue for calm.
The last word on my easel: keep creating.
Interviews reveal less than the work itself.
Letters to friends: art is sharing the unseen.
From my major works: soak and let it flow.
Witty comeback to critics: my paint speaks louder.
Professional note: technique serves the vision.
On meaning: art finds it where words fail.
Aphorism: paint your truth, not the crowd's.
Excerpt from speech: embrace the abstract unknown.
Contemporaries of Helen Frankenthaler
Other Visual Artss born within 50 years of Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011).