Spontaneity, Emotions and Mutual Support
Three Lessons from the Life of Helen Frankenthaler
“There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.” — Helen Frankenthaler
The idea of a fulfilling life is about finding balance, stability and support, but also about being spontaneous, stepping outside the comfort zone and turning to our emotions in our work activities. Having everything rigidly planned and calculated takes out the element of surprise, that is so important for building a life full of memories. We can incorporate spontaneity in our lives even if we don’t live and work in glamorous environments, such as the artistic field or in show business.
A close look at the story of the American painter, Helen Frankenthaler gives us a few ideas about how to bring excitement in our lives and create memories that will live long after we are gone. Frankenthaler had a career of 60 years in painting and, although it is difficult to characterize her style in a broad sense, she is known as a representative of abstract expressionism. In 1964, her work was included in the exhibition “Post-Painterly Abstraction” curated by Clement Greenberg, an event that introduced a new style of abstract painting, called “Color Field”. Her contribution to the history of post-war American painting was recognized in many ways, such as the award of the National Medal of Arts in 2001.
The story of Frankenthaler can serve as a source of inspiration for making our lives look more like exciting journeys, as well as an example of how to support those around us that we care about. Three aspects of her life philosophy and personal history stand out as inspiring lessons.
1. Mutual encouragement and support are important ingredients for a successful life
Born in 1928 in New York City, in a progressive family with a father who was working as a Supreme Court judge, a mother who migrated from Germany and two older sisters, Frankenthaler benefited from the influence of her intellectual family. They encouraged her, and her sisters, to study and build professional careers. With the support of her family she begin her studies at the Dalton School and at Bennington College in Vermont. Later on, after graduating, she continued studying with the painters Wallace Harrison and Hans Hofmann between 1949 and 1950.
This is more than a matter of having financial resources. It is about being open minded and willing to pay for the education needed for obtain the dream job. It points to the importance of encouraging our children to develop their skills from an early age, but also to the idea that we should support the members of our family in their professional and personal plans. It may be the case sometimes that we don’t understand their interests and ideas or that we don’t agree with everything that they say or do. However, if we try walking in their shoes we will understand how it feels to want something badly and to need support from our loved ones.
2. Variety, spontaneity and challenges make for an exciting life
Throughout her career, Frankenthaler went through a variety of art phases and styles. Besides painting on canvas and paper she also worked with printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and tapestry because she felt the need to challenge herself in order to grow. One thing that defines her style was the emphasis on spontaneity. The painted herself stated: “A really good picture looks as if it’s happened at once. It’s an immediate image. For my own work, when a picture looks labored and overworked, and you can read in it — well, she did this and then she did that, and then she did that — there is something in it that has not got to do with beautiful art to me.”
Being spontaneous and choosing to work on something new, that we may not be so skillful at from the beginning can bring challenges and difficulties, but it also brings excitement and revives our interest in what we do for work. It is important to look carefully around us and diversify our activities because this is a good way of learning and experiencing new things.
3. Add emotions and a personal element to what you do
Frankenthaler’s art has been criticized by some for not being controlled enough in method and not having enough substance. However, those who admired her work perceived these characteristics as revealing a connection between her paintings and human emotions. The painter herself talked about her method of work as “a fighting, loving dialogue” with the material and about the importance of synchronizing the movements of the wrist with the head and the heart.
Similarly, we shouldn’t be afraid to bring in our work, once in a while, emotions and something tied to ourselves. This will help us feel in harmony with our work and avoid feeling frustrated and estranged.
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