Late Frankenthaler at Palm Springs Art Museum

Helen Frankenthaler Late Works: 1990-2003 at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Surprised by imagery in the paintings; this a virtual interior, washed with veils of lighter reds and begun with squares of black, red, and green.

Also unfamiliar to me prior to this show was the impasto and layering in her work.

I always saw her inclination as washier in its process of discovery, as in this 1991 work, which seems effortless, a painting downloaded from the painting gods.

The heavy application, which in this case is literally combed across the surface, is layered with washes and reaches perfect balance with empty canvas in this, my most favorite painting.

She also brushes and scrubs, as in this work from 1995.

A canyon landscape. So different than what I expect from Frankenthaler! So great to experience the dimensions of this painter.

Deep, dark jewel color.

Interspersed with the paintings are works on paper. Frankenthaler was a printmaking master, but I didn't know her drawings. This work is quite large.

The reef/line becomes an important motif in her work.

Love this work on paper--seems pivotal, disciplined.

Installation views

Sam Francis was scheduled to show at LACMA and the retrospective is postponed until 2023. Though just missing a perfect trifecta, Frankenthaler and Mitchell forge plenty of space through pours and incisions that cut density with light.