Mountains and Sea 1952

Helen Frankenthaler made Mountains and Sea with oils in 1952, and you can see how she let the paint really soak into the canvas. It’s a beautiful example of how artmaking can be a real process of discovery, right? Looking closely, you notice that the colors aren’t mixed so much as they are allowed to sit alongside each other, bleeding into the canvas. It’s all very fluid and transparent, giving this amazing sense of light and air. Like a watercolor but with the richness of oils. Take that stroke of red at the top left. See how it drips and splatters? It’s as if Frankenthaler wanted to capture the energy of a fleeting moment. This piece reminds me of Joan Mitchell, especially in the way both artists use color to evoke emotions and memories. Art is this ongoing conversation, you know, where artists build on each other's ideas and push the boundaries of what painting can be. And, like any good conversation, there's always room for different perspectives and interpretations.