Tales
Of Genji

Frankenthaler's Tales Of Genji series, created in 1998, is inspired by the iconic 11th-century Japanese novel The Tale Of Genji, written by Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court, Murasaki Shikibu. Considered one of the world’s first novels, Frankenthaler visually translates the rich narrative of court life and romantic intrigue through her abstract compositions.

By reimagining this classical text through the lens of abstract expressionism, Frankenthaler created a dialogue between two vastly different artistic traditions. Her work was not a literal translation of Japanese art or literature, but rather a reinterpretation of the emotional landscapes and subtle complexities that these works evoked. Frankenthaler's work demonstrates how abstract expressionism, typically associated with the raw energy and personal emotion of the American avant-garde, could be employed as a tool for cross-cultural exploration, allowing for a more nuanced and globally-informed artistic expression.

Although known primarily for her soak-stain technique in painting, Frankenthaler was also an experienced printmaker, adapting the medium of woodcut to create Tales Of Genji. She experimented with layering colours and manipulating textures in a way that mimics the fluidity of watercolours, using the wood’s natural absorbency to produce complexly layered works.

The Tales Of Genji series comprises six individual works, each marked by Frankenthaler’s distinct use of colour and form. From Tales Of Genji I through Tales Of Genji VI, each print explores different aspects of the novel’s themes, using abstract compositions to evoke the feelings and atmosphere of the original text.

The Tale of Genji is set in the imperial court of Heian-era Japan, and tells the story of the life, loves, and personal challenges of Hikaru Genji, the ‘Shining Prince.’ The novel delves deeply into the fleeting nature of beauty, the complexity of relationships, and the emotional intricacies of love, loss, jealousy, and longing. Frankenthaler translated these profound emotional currents into visual form. Rather than illustrating the specific events of The Tale of Genji, she focused on conveying the emotional essence that permeates the novel. The abstraction in her series captures the same transitory quality that Murasaki so poignantly depicts through narrative, feelings that are often ephemeral, ungraspable, and difficult to articulate.

The series was a three-year collaborative project that began in 1995, involving Frankenthaler, master printer Kenneth Tyler, and woodcut specialist Yasuyuki Shibata. Over the course of this project, the team produced a series of six woodcut prints that evoke the delicate, fluid quality of watercolour paintings.

In this series, Frankenthaler employed abstract shapes and negative space to create compositions that are not only visually engaging but also resonate with the delicate emotional balance found in Japanese aesthetics. The use of negative space, which is a hallmark of traditional Japanese art, plays a crucial role in evoking a sense of harmony and quiet reflection. Frankenthaler’s technique mirrors the subtlety and restraint often seen in Japanese culture, where what is left unsaid or unseen can be just as powerful as what is expressed.

The flowing, organic forms and subtle colour shifts in the Tales of Genji series evoke a connection to nature, echoing the importance of nature imagery in The Tale of Genji. Frankenthaler captured the fleeting beauty and impermanence of life, much like the natural world plays a symbolic role in the original novel.

As a female artist interpreting a Japanese literary classic written by Lady Murasaki, Frankenthaler’s Tales of Genji series reflects a rare intersection of female creative voices across time and cultures.

For Frankenthaler’s Tales of Genji series, her printmaking process became even more intricate, than before, requiring up to 46 separate woodblocks to achieve the complex layers of colour and texture that captured her artistic intent. This collaboration pushed the boundaries of printmaking, blending technical skill with Frankenthaler’s desire for painterly resonance in the woodcut medium.