What
Red Lines Can Do
In 1970, Helen Frankenthaler translated her signature soak-stain technique into silkscreen, exploring the expressive potential of the line. This series documents red, yellow and blue forms surging across pale fields; line becomes gesture, structure, and rhythm, reframing abstraction through a balance of spontaneity, control, and chromatic force.
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Meaning & Analysis
What Red Lines Can Do is a series within Frankenthaler’s oeuvre, encapsulating her pivotal role in the development of Post-War American art. The series consists of five screenprints, including works such as What Red Lines Can Do (H. 25) and What Red Lines Can Do (H. 26), all produced in 1970. Frankenthaler's work is often associated with the Color Field movement, which emerged as a response to the earlier Abstract Expressionism, pushing the boundaries of how colour could interact on the canvas.
Reminiscent of her soak-stain technique, where Frankenthaler poured thinned paint onto unprimed paper, the artist employed a similar technique in her printmaking by pouring thinned pigments onto varying canvases. This method not only highlights her creative use of materials, but also enhances the emotive quality of her works. The interplay of vibrant reds, greens, and ochres in this series creates a visual dialogue that invites viewers to engage with the emotional resonance of colour and form.
In the context of Frankenthaler's broader body of work, What Red Lines Can Do serves as an exploration of abstraction, echoing the influences of her contemporaries while simultaneously marking her distinct voice in the art world. Frankenthaler's artistic journey was marked by her exploration of the relationship between colour and space, which is seen in this series through Frankenthaler’s use of colour as a structural force. The red lines in these works organise space, suggest movement, and direct the viewer’s eye. What Red Lines Can Do shows how she manipulates hues and forms to create a sense of spatial tension and harmony, a hallmark of her style developed from the soak-stain technique she pioneered. The works reflect her ability to convey depth and dynamism through minimalistic yet impactful compositions.
Moreover, the cultural milieu of the 1970s, marked by social upheaval and a quest for new forms of expression, is palpable in Frankenthaler’s prints. They encapsulate a moment of artistic exploration where traditional boundaries were challenged, allowing for a more liberated interpretation of abstract art. This series is a dialogue about the evolving nature of art in a rapidly changing world, using its minimalism to resist easy categorisation and contribute to the broader questioning of what defined “high” art during the decade.
