Oct 25, 2025–Feb 8, 2026
MoMA
Celebrated Abstract Expressionist Helen Frankenthaler once described her magnificent 1971 painting Chairman of the Board as capturing “a grand sweep.” This evocative phrase not only captures the energetic and confident spirit behind this monumental work, which spans over six feet in height and sixteen feet in width, but also illuminates the arc of Frankenthaler’s expansive and pioneering artistic career.
Frankenthaler emerged in mid-20th-century New York amidst the Abstract Expressionists, a movement defined by its bold gestures and emotional intensity. Her breakthrough was marked by innovation and a fearless exploration of the medium of painting itself. One of her signature contributions was the technique she developed in the 1950s: pouring thinned oil paint directly onto raw canvas, which allowed the pigment to soak into the fabric and produce ethereal, diffuse forms. This method departed from traditional brushwork and redefined the interaction between paint and support, heralding a new vocabularly for modern abstract art.
By the early 1960s, Frankenthaler shifted to acrylic paints, a medium that enabled crisper edges and bolder shapes. She conceived these abstract shapes as “districts” or “territories,” considering the compositional balance akin to a landscape’s geography. This approach reveals her deep engagement with the natural world and its underlying forms, even as she abstracted them to an elemental and expressive essence.
As her career progressed into the late 1980s, her work evolved into more moodily charged compositions, as exemplified by Toward Dark (1988), which makes its debut at MoMA in this exhibition. The vibrancy of color and form, along with an almost lyrical quality to the brushstrokes, demonstrates Frankenthaler’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of painting.
With a career spanning decades marked by continuous experimentation and innovation, Helen Frankenthaler’s voice remains distinctive and singular. She reflected on her journey, noting, “I’ve explored a variety of directions and themes over the years, but I think in all my painting you can see the signature of one artist, the work of one wrist.” This exhibition presents a rich and succinct overview of her artistic evolution, inviting audiences to witness the “grand sweep” of her life’s work, celebrated here at MoMA in a meaningful and inspiring retrospective.
For more information, please visit the official MoMA exhibition page here.
