Lyrics & Form: Abstraction Expressionism and its Influence on Color Field Painters

Mark Borghi is pleased to present Lyrics & Form: Abstraction Expressionism and its Influence on Color Field Painters, in the Bridgehampton gallery. 

As a reaction away from the gestural action painting of Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting emerged focusing on how artists sought to create an authentic experience of pure color and form. In contrast to the body and soul involvement of the Ab-Ex methodology, Color Field painters held in the notion of an artist’s emotional and physical imprint upon the work. “Lyrics & Form” positions works by Abstraction Expressionists such as Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell and Michael West in conversation with Lyrical Abstractionists Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler and Pat Lipksy. As art critic Clement Greenberg deemed “Post Painterly Abstraction,” these artists focused on the formal components of their work rather than those tied to content. Moving away from the poetic and philosophical painting lineage of their predecessors we see painter’s Kenneth Noland, Gene Davis, Sam Gilliam and Sean Scully create their paintings from harmonies and contracts of color and form. Later works included by John Chamberlain, Keith Haring, Alex Katz, Hedda Sterne, Rudolf Stingel and Andy Warhol.

Feauturing works by: John Chamberlain, Gene Davis, Elaine de Kooning

Willem de Kooning, Herbert Ferber, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler

Sam Gilliam, Keith Haring, Hans Hofmann, Alex Katz, Franz Kline, Pat Lipsky

Kenneth Noland, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Sean Scully, Hedda Sterne, Rudolf Stingel, Andy Warhol and Michael West.