Helen Frankenthaler (abstract expressionist)

Helen Frankenthaler is an American abstract expressionist painter. She introduced a new style of abstraction that became known as Color Field. As a New York native, she was influenced by Hans Hofman and Jackson Pollack. She developed her own abstract style, inventing her own language of expression through color. She started experimenting with stain painting, where an unstretched and unprimed canvas lying on the floor would be treated with heavily diluted oil-based paints to be soaked directly into the fabric. She created silky pools of color that, although abstract, evoked images of landscapes, creating moods and ambiance.