Tales of Genji VI 1998

Helen Frankenthaler made "Tales of Genji VI" with acrylic on canvas; her approach to color here is just so dreamy, and also really, really physical. The way she stained the canvas, you can really see the weave, the texture of the fabric coming through. Look at the upper left area, that dark, almost chocolatey stain that bleeds out into a thin line. What does it evoke? A splash? A tear? Frankenthaler wasn't trying to hide the process of making; she was really in dialogue with the materials. It makes me think of Morris Louis, another color field painter, but Frankenthaler's got this raw, almost vulnerable quality that’s all her own. It’s like she’s inviting you to feel the painting as much as see it, you know? It’s more than just looking; it’s an experience.