Helen Frankenthaler

Helen Frankenthaler (born December 12, 1928) is an American abstract expressionist artist. Born in New York City, her work is influenced by Jackson Pollock. She later married fellow artist Robert Motherwell.

Her career was launched in 1952 with the exhibition of Mountains and Sea. In it, she introduced the style of painting directly on to an unprepared canvas, so that the material absorbs the colors. This style, known as "soak stain" was imitated by other artists (notably Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland) and launched the "Color Field" school of painting.