In the 1970s, Willem de Kooning's artistic journey saw a continued exploration of abstract expressionism, marked by a distinctive shift in his use of color, form, and material, reflecting the influence of his surroundings in East Hampton. After dedicating the early part of the decade to sculpture and printmaking, de Kooning returned to painting around 1975 with a renewed vigor. His work from this period, such as an untitled piece from 1976, demonstrated a fresh and airy quality, employing newspaper as part of his canvas, a technique that added a unique textural and spontaneous element to his compositions. This method allowed for a lighter hand and contributed to compositions that felt dynamically different from his earlier, more densely painted canvases on traditional materials​ (MoMA)​. During this time, de Kooning's paintings evolved to include a more luminous quality, inspired by the light and landscape of Long Island's North Atlantic coast, where he had settled permanently. The paintings from the mid-1970s, such as "Untitled XVI" (1976), are celebrated for their energetic brushwork and the vibrant union of shapes and surfaces, with a palette dominated by white, black, and red. These works evoked the churning seascape of the North Atlantic, immersing the viewer in a stunning abstraction that was both a departure and a continuation of his earlier thematic concerns. This era of his work was characterized by a balance between control and chaos, with a tactile quality that gave his paintings an almost physical presence​ (Phillips)​. This period was also significant for de Kooning's experimentation with his painting process. He developed a technique of covering his canvases with lead white, then sanding them down for a luminous quality, blending his oil paints with water, safflower oil, and kerosene to achieve the desired viscosity. This approach allowed for a depth of color and range of textures that were unparalleled in his earlier work. Despite using unconventional tools like everyday housepainters' brushes, de Kooning's mastery over his medium was evident in the lush, sumptuous quality of his paintings from this period. His works from the mid-1970s, particularly those produced between 1975 and 1977, are among his most critically acclaimed and sought after in the marketplace, marking a high point in his career as he brought his accumulated skills to bear on a series of abstract paintings that responded to the Long Island landscape​ (Phillips)​​ (Sothebys.com)​. De Kooning's art of the 1970s stands as a testament to his continued innovation and influence in abstract expressionism, showcasing a period of rich artistic exploration and refinement that solidified his legacy as one of the 20th century's most pivotal artists.