Color Field painting is an artistic movement that began in the 1940s and 1950s, and is characterized by abstract works of art that feature large fields of color. The movement is closely related to abstract expressionism, and has been influential in the development of various other art movements. This article explores the history of the Color Field painting movement, as well as some of its most famous practitioners.
Origins of the Color Field Painting Movement
The Color Field painting movement began in the 1940s and 1950s, when a group of American painters began experimenting with large, abstract canvases featuring simplified forms and large areas of single color. These painters, who included Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Clyfford Still, and Adolph Gottlieb, were influenced by the works of the French painter Henri Matisse, as well as by modernist ideas such as cubism. The movement was closely associated with the abstract expressionist movement, and would later influence various other art movements, including minimalism.
Notable Color Field Painters
Mark Rothko is one of the most famous Color Field painters, and his works are some of the most recognizable in the movement. His works are characterized by large fields of color, often with several vertical or horizontal stripes. Another prominent figure in the Color Field movement is Barnett Newman, whose works feature large areas of single color, divided by thin lines of contrasting colors. Clyfford Still, who is often seen as the “father” of abstract expressionism, is also associated with the Color Field movement. His works are characterized by large fields of color, often with geometric shapes.
Influence of Color Field Painting
The Color Field painting movement has had a significant influence on the development of various other art movements. Minimalism, for example, was heavily influenced by Color Field painting, as was the Lyrical Abstraction movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Color Field painters also had an influence on Pop Art, which used large areas of color to create bold, eye-catching imagery. The Color Field painters also had an influence on later abstract painters, such as Gerhard Richter and Anselm Kiefer.
