The artwork “Côte d’Argent,” created by artist Helen Frankenthaler in 1980, is a representative piece of the Abstract Expressionism and Lyrical Abstraction movements. As an abstract work, it embodies the aesthetic principles and expressive potentials these movements are renowned for, exploring the medium of painting through color and form without representing the physical world.
The artwork derides its narrative from color and composition rather than realistic representation. The dominant use of a muted green hue creates a vast, central form that evokes a sense of weight and ambiguity. Surrounding this are streaks and splashes of contrasting colors—pinks, golds, blues, and whites—that both punctuate and integrate with the field. The artist’s application of paint ranges from thin washes that enable the canvas texture to show through, to thicker, more deliberate marks.
The piece conveys a sense of spontaneous movement, intricacy, and depth, with juxta position of colors and forms hinting at a landscape or seascape, as implied by the title “Côte d’Argent,” which translates from French to “Silver Coast.” Nonetheless, the interpretation remains open, seeking to evoke emotion and contemplation through its lyrical abstraction.
