Color Field Painting
Color Field painting is a style of abstract art that emerged in the late 1940s and 1950s as part of the larger movement of Abstract Expressionism. It’s characterized by large fields of flat, solid color spread across or stained into the canvas, creating areas of unbroken surface and a flat picture plane. The idea is to emphasize the flatness of the canvas, steering away from the illusion of depth, which was a traditional component in painting.
What is Color Field Painting?
Color Field painting, is characterised by its large canvases featuring vast, flat areas of color with minimal surface detail. These paintings present a cohesive, single-image field, distinctly different from the expressive, gestural brushwork seen in the works of artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning who are more of the Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism style.
Notable Artists:
Mark Rothko: Known for his iconic paintings featuring soft, rectangular bands of color, Rothko’s works are deeply emotive and are often seen as meditations on color and form.
Kenneth Noland: famous for his target prints. This painting Drought, is from the last part of Noland’s ‘target’ series made between 1958 and 1962. It has a spinning effect, similar to earlier works in the series. Originally, the artist wanted it hung with two white spaces at 3 and 5 o’clock on the fourth ring. But in 1965, he changed it to 12 and 2 o’clock instead. This made the painting look like it was spinning more because of its slight unevenness.
Because of Nolan’s focus on geometric shapes his style was termed Hard Edge Color Field painting
Barnett Newman: Newman’s work is characterized by large fields of color interrupted by vertical “zips.” His approach was more abrupt and contrasting compared to Rothko’s.
Clyfford Still: Known for his jagged flashes and large fields of color, Still’s work has a more tactile, impasto feel compared to the smoothness of Rothko or Newman.
Jennifer Wolf
A modern artist representing the Contemporary Color Field painting style, introduces a more digital feel to her art
The Color Field movement was a critical development in abstract painting, moving away from the gestural brush-strokes of the early Abstract Expressionists. It’s known for evoking emotional responses purely through color and has had a lasting influence on contemporary abstract art.
For a more detailed exploration, you might find these links helpful:
