Flooding their canvases with vibrant hues and dense, kaleidoscopic patterns, the artists in this gallery immerse us in a variety of radiant environments. Pulsating visions of the natural world encourage us to contemplate the dynamic forces of life, as color—both wild and subdued—inspires shared emotions. Duncan Phillips believed that museums should be contemplative spaces for emotional exploration, that experiencing art could be “for rest and recreation, or for zest and stimulation; for seeing visions and for dreaming dreams.” (1924)
Karl Knaths
American, 1891–1971
Deer in Sunset
1946
Oil paint on canvas
The Phillips Collection
Acquired 1948
© Estate of Karl Knaths
Intrigued by nature’s mysteries, Karl Knaths used an elaborate color scheme based on mathematics and music theory, which nearly camouflages the animals within the foliage of browns, greens, and golds in this painting. An expressive line is the only element that defines the shape of the deer, who are otherwise fused with their environment. In a 1929 letter to Knaths, Duncan Phillips expressed that “yours is newer language, your color is never commonplace.”
John Marin
American, 1870–1953
The Sea, Cape Split, Maine
1939
Oil paint on canvas
The Phillips Collection
Acquired 1940
© 2023 Estate of John Marin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
By the time John Marin settled in Cape Split, Maine, in the mid-1930s, the sea had become an enduring motif in his work. Interested in depicting the underlying structure of nature rather than evoking a spiritual symbolism, Marin varied his brushwork to evoke the character of his subject. In this painting, he created a sequence of strokes that lead our eyes through the image, expressing the dynamic surging of the sea against the rocky coast. Duncan Phillips wrote in 1926 that Marin’s “watery sunshine seeps through silver-edged clouds with a magical spread of radiance.”
Helen Frankenthaler
American, 1928–2011
Canyon
1965
Acrylic paint on canvas
The Phillips Collection.
The Dreier Fund for Acquisitions and funds given by Gifford Phillips, 2001
© 2023 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
In 1952, Helen Frankenthaler developed a technique of soak-staining unprepared canvas with turpentine-thinned oil paint in a manner reminiscent of watercolor. By 1963, she began using acrylic paint, resulting in an expansion of forms on the canvas and bolder, more saturated colors. Her work, although abstract, conveys an immediate response to nature and a sense of place expressed in the interaction of large fields of color and descriptive titles. Artists Kenneth Noland and Morris Louis revealed that “Frankenthaler showed us a way—a way to think about, and use, color.”
Bradley Walker Tomlin
American, 1899–1953
No. 8
1952
Oil paint and charcoal on canvas.
Acquired 1955
© Estate Bradley Walker Tomlin
In Bradley Walker Tomlin’s No. 8, a shimmer of white, cream, light pink, and gray forms cascade over a darkened background like falling flower petals. Called “Blossoms” by Duncan Phillips, this painting appears to be composed of spontaneous marks. However, close observation reveals that Tomlin carefully calculated its color and organization. His staccato-like brushstrokes have drawn comparisons to composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s repetitive play with unassumingly simple motifs and to jazz trumpeter Miles Davis’s experiments with spontaneity.
Sam Francis
American, 1923–1994
Blue
1958
Oil paint on canvas
The Phillips Collection
Acquired 1958
© 2023 Samuel L. Francis Foundation, California/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
Sam Francis painted large luminous abstractions such as Blue that were intended to envelop the viewer. In this painting, Francis combined his innate love of color and light based on ideas of shape and line derived from his experiences living in Asia where he became familiar with calligraphy. He used varying hues of blue with pops of bright colors to create a soft yet lyrical effect.
Alfonso Ossorio
American, born in Philippines, 1916–1990
Mother and Child
1951
Oil and enamel paints on canvas
The Phillips Collection
The Dreier Fund for Acquisitions, 2008
© Ossorio Foundation
Alfonso Ossorio belonged to the first generation of abstract expressionist painters to emerge in New York in the late 1940s. This group of artists rejected descriptive images in favor of spontaneous expression. Ossorio created Mother and Child by pouring, swirling, and dripping oil and enamel paints onto a canvas. The painting’s title also reflects Ossorio’s interest in religious iconography, which had been renewed during a visit to his native Philippines in 1950.
All Stars: American Artists from The Phillips Collection is organized by The Phillips Collection in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum.
Support is provided by the Tom Taplin Jr. and Ted Taplin Endowment, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, Ellen and Morris Susman, Lisë Gander and Andy Main, Mike Leprino Family Foundation, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.
