Helen Frankenthaler's venture into woodcuts and printmaking from the 1970s through to the 2000s represents a period of prolific output and innovation, establishing her as a pivotal figure in the evolution of printmaking. The "No Rules: Helen Frankenthaler Woodcuts" exhibition at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, showcased this aspect of her career, featuring seventeen large-scale prints that spanned her exploration in the medium from the 1970s to the 2000s. This exhibition not only highlighted Frankenthaler's groundbreaking approach to woodcuts but also her collaborative spirit, working closely with printers, publishers, woodcarvers, and papermakers to push the medium in new directions (Frankenthaler Foundation).
Frankenthaler's initial skepticism toward woodcut transformed into a profound engagement with the medium, starting with her first woodcut, East and Beyond (1973), made at Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE). Her work in this medium was influenced by her admiration for Japanese woodblock prints, particularly the works of Utagawa Hiroshige. Frankenthaler's East and Beyond was characterized by its sparse composition and use of the woodblock's striations to add texture and depth, anticipating the themes that would define her later woodcuts (Art UK).
Her collaborations with master printers like Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics Ltd. were instrumental in her achievements in printmaking. Together, they pioneered several technical innovations in woodcut printmaking. For instance, Essence Mulberry (1977) broke away from the hard-edge style of early woodcuts to achieve washes of transparent color, integrating distressed wood blocks and transparent inks applied to coated Japanese calligraphy paper, which did not absorb the ink, allowing for a new aesthetic in woodcut technique (Art21 Magazine).
The late 1980s to the 2000s saw Frankenthaler continuing to innovate within the woodcut medium, with works such as Freefall (1992-93) and the Tales of Genji series (1998), as well as Madame Butterfly (2000), which many consider being her magnum opus in printmaking. These works exemplify her experimental approach, using a broad array of tools and collaborating closely with print workshops to achieve complex spatial and coloristic effects. Madame Butterfly, in particular, was celebrated for its breathtaking beauty and technical sophistication, constructed from 42 woodblocks and printed with 102 colors (Art21 Magazine).
Frankenthaler's legacy in printmaking is marked by her imaginative use of color, texture, and form, which has inspired subsequent generations of artists and printmakers. Her prints, particularly her woodcuts, stand as a testament to her willingness to explore and push the boundaries of the medium, embodying her belief that there were "no rules" in art, only opportunities for invention and discovery (Frankenthaler Foundation) (Art UK) (Art21 Magazine).
