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Last Chance to Experience Helen Frankenthaler: Painting Without Rules at Palazzo Strozzi

As the year draws to a close, art enthusiasts in Florence have one final opportunity to experience the groundbreaking works of Helen Frankenthaler in the exhibition Helen Frankenthaler: Painting Without Rules at the prestigious Palazzo Strozzi. Running until January 26, 2025, this comprehensive exhibition celebrates one of the 20th century’s most innovative and influential abstract painters.

Curated by Douglas Dreishpoon, Director of the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné, and organized by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in collaboration with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, this major retrospective offers an unprecedented look at Frankenthaler’s art. Featuring works from the 1950s to the 2000s, the exhibition traces the evolution of her revolutionary soak-stain technique, which transformed the landscape of modern painting.

Frankenthaler’s innovative approach involved pouring diluted oil paints directly onto unprimed canvases, allowing them to soak into the fabric and create fluid, watercolor-like effects on a large scale. This technique, which she pioneered in the 1950s, defied traditional rules of painting and set the stage for a new generation of artists. Visitors can see the incredible versatility of Frankenthaler’s practice, as she pushed the boundaries of color, space, and form.

The exhibition is also a unique dialogue between Frankenthaler’s works and those of her contemporaries, such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, and Anne Truitt. Highlights include the mesmerizing Mediterranean Thoughts (1960), where Frankenthaler’s fluid use of color echoes the emotive abstractions of Pollock’s Number 14 (1951), as well as her colorful, ethereal Tutti-Frutti (1966), placed in conversation with David Smith’s geometric Untitled (1964).

One of the most striking features of this exhibition is its immersive, chronological layout, which tracks Frankenthaler’s artistic evolution over six decades. Each gallery room is dedicated to a different decade, offering a clear view of how her style changed and developed over time. Frankenthaler’s works are shown alongside sculptures and paintings by her contemporaries, offering a glimpse into the friendships and artistic exchanges that fueled her creativity.

A rare opportunity to see Frankenthaler’s sculptures is also part of the exhibition, with pieces like Heart of London Map (1972) showcased alongside Anthony Caro’s Ascending the Stairs (1979-83).

As the exhibition reaches its final month, this is an unmissable opportunity to explore the lasting impact of an artist who revolutionized abstract art. Visitors to Palazzo Strozzi will not only witness Frankenthaler’s masterpieces but also gain insight into her close-knit artistic community, which played a crucial role in her groundbreaking innovations.

For those planning to visit, Helen Frankenthaler: Painting Without Rules runs through January 26, 2025. Palazzo Strozzi is located at Piazza Strozzi, 50123 Florence, and is open daily from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Tickets and more information are available on the official Palazzo Strozzi website. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of the greatest American artists of the 20th century in Florence’s iconic art space.

Helen Frankenthaler
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