Willem de Kooning's work in the 1980s represents a period of profound innovation and reflection in his long and distinguished career. During these years, de Kooning continued to explore the boundaries of abstract expressionism, producing works characterized by their vivid colors, dynamic forms, and emotional intensity. This era in de Kooning's oeuvre is marked by a simplification in means, yet a complexity in expression and form that retained the artist's characteristic energy and provocative nature. In the 1980s, de Kooning developed a less complex approach to achieving satisfying compositions, working on canvas prepared with a white ground and reducing his palette to a few pigments, often no more than two colors in addition to white. Despite this apparent simplification, his works from this period reveal a sophisticated sense of form and composition, with colors assuming the form of twisting ribbons or bands that might seem simultaneously curved and angled. De Kooning often tinted the areas of white ground along the edges of his opaque bands of color and painted the bands from both the outside and inside of their contours, making successively refined adjustments​ (Sothebys.com)​. The late paintings of the 1980s, such as "Pirate (Untitled II)" from 1981, showcase de Kooning's striking range, from spare to animated to richly hued works, reflecting his enduring exploration of the physical and emotional possibilities of paint. This period was celebrated by a retrospective that demonstrated the breadth and depth of de Kooning's work during his final creative years​ (MoMA)​. De Kooning's artistic process during this time was characterized by a deep engagement with the material reality of paint, as well as with the physical act of painting itself. He was inspired not only by the landscapes and light of his surroundings in East Hampton but also by the muscle memory of the figuration he had articulated throughout his decades of studio practice. This intimate connection with the act of painting allowed de Kooning to create works that were both a continuation of his earlier explorations and a departure into new artistic territory​ (Sothebys.com)​. The 1980s were a testament to de Kooning's legacy as a master of abstraction, capable of evoking the ever-changing elements of land, sky, and sea without literal depiction. His paintings from this era are celebrated for their ability to convey the sensory experiences of the world around him, offering viewers a glimpse into the artist's perception of reality through abstract forms and colors​ (Sothebys.com)​.