Helen Frankenthaler: The Moment and the Distance

Monumental abstract paintings spanning four decades, showcasing Frankenthaler's evolving mastery of color, scale, and the soak-stain technique.

Why go

The exhibition presents over twenty of Frankenthaler's largest works from 1960–1992, arranged by decade to reveal her continual reinvention—from oil on raw canvas to acrylic's flowing color fields, with scale that amplifies the visual impact of her lyrical abstraction.

What to expect

Gallery spaces filled with expansive canvases (some exceeding 12 feet) in oil and acrylic, featuring brilliant color contrasts, flowing washes, and linear gestures. Works include Provincetown I (1961), Mornings (1971), and Thanksgiving (1972), demonstrating shifts from gestural mark-making to flat color composition.

Things to know

• Exhibition organized in collaboration with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.
• Features more than twenty of the artist's largest and most ambitious works.
• Spans four decades: 1960 to 1992, arranged chronologically by decade.
• Title derives from Barbara Guest's 1975 essay on Frankenthaler's balance of freedom and restraint.
• Artist transitioned from oil to acrylic paint in the late 1960s, shifting compositional approach.
• Works employ the soak-stain technique on untreated canvas, creating distinctive color interactions.

Plan your visit

Gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10–6. Located at 522 West 21st Street, New York. Contact +1 212 741 1717 or newyork@gagosian.com for inquiries.