The artwork “Tutti-Fruitti,” created by Helen Frankenthaler in 1966, is an exemplar of the Color Field Painting and Lyrical Abstraction movements. This abstract piece, rendered in acrylic on canvas, measures 296 x 175 cm and is housed in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, USA.
In “Tutti-Fruitti,” large swaths of vibrant color flow across the canvas in an organic and fluid manner. The composition features a myriad of hues including vivid blues, greens, yellows, reds, and oranges, each seamlessly blending into the next. The application of the acrylic paint creates a sense of transparency, allowing the colors to interact dynamically and evocatively. This interplay not only highlights the materiality of the paint but also emphasizes the emotive potential of pure, unmediated color. The lack of defined forms and emphasis on expansive, overlapping color fields invite viewers to experience the painting in a deeply personal and contemplative way, characteristic of Frankenthaler’s contribution to abstract art.
