Cameo 1980

Helen Frankenthaler made this dreamlike print, Cameo, at an unknown date, but likely after her groundbreaking stain paintings of the early 1950s. It's like she's playing with the idea of a cameo, but instead of a profile carved in stone, it's a fleeting impression in ink. The color is this gorgeous, all-encompassing blue, almost like a memory. You can see the texture of the paper coming through, and the way the ink sits on the surface is so delicate. Look closely and you'll spot these ghostly shapes floating in the blue field. They're not quite defined, more like suggestions of forms, and this is where the magic happens: that balance between accident and intention. Frankenthaler’s work always reminds me of Joan Mitchell, another artist who wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing. Both artists embrace that beautiful, messy, intuitive process. Ultimately, Cameo is a reminder that art isn't about perfection; it's about capturing a moment, a feeling, a fleeting glimpse of something beautiful and strange.