Glory of the World : Color Field Painting (1950s to 1983)

“Hofmann proved that the straightforward manipulation of pigment can create exalted art … glory of the world this painting surely is.” —Frank Stella

"Color Field" became a convenient, albeit imperfect, term to describe paintings in which vast areas of color are the dominant force. It was not an art movement but rather a cohort of like-minded artists. While the American Abstract Expressionists cleared a path for abstract painting, their achievements also challenged others to create abstraction anew. Experimenting with nontraditional mediums and methods, as well as these artists’ probing of painting’s conventions, led to unprecedented works. The book’s title, Glory of the World, takes its name from the writings of Frank Stella on the influential artist and teacher Hans Hofmann, whose exalted abstract paintings, produced solely through the straightforward manipulation of pigment, were revered by the Color Field painters.
Artists include: Frank Bowling, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Larry Poons, Frank Stella, Alma Thomas.