Some people think that you can not understand a work of art without knowing the artist’s background or the work’s context of production. Others believe that an art piece generates its own meaning, independent of the author. Still others hold that meaning is all in the eyes of the beholder. Nowhere are these issues more poignantly apparent than in examining the work of abstract expressionist painters such as Harold Frank, a collection of whose — numbering some 40 pieces — opened on March 20 (running until June 15 at the K. Nathan Gallery at 7723 Fay Ave. This is a unique opportunity to view an important but little-known artist whose work rarely appears on the market. Harold Frank (1921-1995) was a Beverly Hills-based abstract painter, born in England, reared in the tenements of New York City and educated at several fine institutions, from UCLA to the Pratt Institute, who won many awards during his lifetime. Chief among his influences were Richard Diebenkorn and Willem de Kooning. Frank’s school — abstract expressionism — was an American post World War II art movement that achieved worldwide attention. It is exemplified by artists such as Jackson Pollock dripping paints on a floor canvas. In abstract expressionism the emphasis is on spontaneous, automatic or unconscious creation, with the painting seen as an event as well as a final product, which is, in turn, pure and liberated from value. The physical actions of the artist or the way paint is applied is important, as Frank expressed, “I use a fast and fluid brush stroke.” The paintings on exhibit at K. Nathan are chiefly wildly colorful, abstract, buxom female figures and indefinable female heads. Since Frank lived a solitary, monkish existence shunning human contact and was said to be incapable of sustained relationships, art critic Sandie Stern speculated that “by endlessly painting the female form Frank was able to overcome this void … perhaps his artwork gave him some solace.” However, Keith Kelman, the owner of K. Nathan Gallery, said that this was unimportant and “the female form and face were just the vehicle for Frank to explore techniques, materials, and concepts.” Nonetheless, Frank’s own words are revealing: “As I get caught up in a painting, there seems to be a chemical change — I feel a shortness of breath and excitement. This is the exuberance of creativity. It is passionate, impulsive.” Kelman has acquired a sizeable collection of Frank’s work and is passing on the opportunity to acquire Frank at a very reasonable rate which may be a wonderful investment as he becomes better known. Some fine examples of the plein air painter, Alfred Mitchell, such as “Row Boats at La Jolla Shores,” will also be on display.
