Colour Field Painting (1940s – 1960s)
Colour Field painting emerged in New York after World War II, as part of the wider Abstract Expressionist movement. Instead of energetic brushstrokes, artists like Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, and Helen Frankenthaler used large areas of flat, glowing colour to create a sense of calm, emotion, or spirituality. The term “colour field” describes how colour itself becomes the subject, with soft edges, layered washes, or bold geometric zones filling the canvas. By the late 1960s, Colour Field painting was overtaken by movements such as Minimalism and Pop Art, which shifted focus to everyday objects and mass culture.
Learn more Tate- Colour Field painting
Artworks to be inspired by-
You may like to try to reproduce this work. I will use it to inspire my demonstration
Jack Bush – Colour Column on Suede (1974, acrylic on canvas)
“This Colour Field painting by Jack Bush uses tall, flat columns of bright acrylic colour. The paint is smooth and even, so the colour itself becomes the subject. Colour Field artists believed big areas of colour could create mood and feeling without needing figures or objects.”
Key Artwork example of the movement
Mark Rothko – No. 61 (Rust and Blue) (1953)
Rothko painted large rectangles of glowing colour, designed to surround the viewer and evoke deep emotions. In this work, soft edges and luminous layering of rust, blue, and black create a meditative, spiritual atmosphere. Colour itself is the subject — not figures or objects. This calm, immersive focus on colour is what defines Colour Field painting.
Artists to Research:
Mark Rothko
Barnett Newman
Clyfford Still
Helen Frankenthaler
Morris Louis
Kenneth Noland
Jules Olitski
Sam Gilliam
Adolph Gottlieb