Until April 18th, 2022, Dulwich Picture Gallery will present the first major UK exhibition of woodcuts by the leading Abstract Expressionist, Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011). Shining a light on the artist’s groundbreaking woodcuts, it will showcase works never shown before in the UK that reveal Frankenthaler as a creative force and a trailblazer of printmaking, who endlessly pushed the possibilities of the medium. We are very happy we can present her works to you in DailyArt, all thanks to Dulwich Picture Gallery. <3
Frankenthaler started this work by building up layers of green using the Ukiyo-e tradition prevalent in Japanese woodcut printmaking. After a break, she returned to the work adding white highlights to create depth and pulling out tiny details such as the little red triangle at the base and a pink wash at the top.
In one of several collaborations with Japanese woodcut carver and printer, Yasuyuki Shibata (both at Tyler Graphics Ltd. and at Pace Editions, Inc.), Frankenthaler first explored working with Japanese printmakers in 1983 with Crown Point Press in Japan. Together their experimentation fused East and West sensibilities, finding new dimensions within the traditional practice.
P.S. Here you can read an interview with Jane Findlay, who curated this exhibition. :)
P.P.S. If you're looking for the last-minute Christmas gifts, please check our DailyArt Notebooks, Socks, and Calendars here. :)