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Screenprint in colours, 2004, on Rives BFK paper, signed and dated in pencil, numbered from edition of 118, printed by Brand X Editions, New York, published by The Dalton School, New York, 95.3 x 76.8 cm. (37 1/2 x 30 1/4 in.)
Helen Frankenthaler was an integral member of the second wave of Abstract Expressionists and a trailblazer of the modern printmaking movement. The artist enjoyed pushing the boundaries of printmaking and in the 1950s, created the ‘soak-stain’ method, in which she applied washes of thinned paint to unprimed canvas to create vivid, fluid areas of colour resulting in profound abstract landscapes.
The present piece, ‘Contentment Island,’ is titled after the artist’s final home and studio in Darien, Connecticut. Made in the last decade of her life, this piece demonstrates Frankenthaler’s expert use of the renowned ‘soak-stain’ technique to create a unique harmony between colour and form.