Helen Frankenthaler (American 1928 – 2011) was one of the most influential and successful female painters of the 20th century. She was a pioneer in the evolution of the American art scene moving away from Abstract Expressionism and towards Color Field painting. Her exploration of untraditional painting practices, such as pouring paint over unprimed canvas made famous by Jackson Pollock helped catapult her into an influential position. Her influence not only held sway over her husband Robert Motherwell, whom she was married to from 1958-71, but also to her peers such as Kenneth Noland and Morris Lewis.
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Frankenthaler’s predominantly abstract works of art elicit emotion through a calculating use of color. In the print series, What Red Lines Can Do, Frankenthaler varies color within a recurring composition. By making great use of the negative space to help focus on the restricted palette, she explored the effects of subtle color variations within a repeated theme.