Something Else

Ronnie Landfield’s Something Else and the Reinvention of Abstract Space

Few works from the late 1960s capture the restless energy of Abstract Expressionism’s second wave as vividly as Ronnie Landfield’s Something Else. Painted in 1967, this canvas emerged during a period when Landfield and his contemporaries—artists like Dan Christensen and Larry Poons—were pushing abstraction beyond the gestural drama of the 1950s into a more structured yet equally dynamic visual language. The title itself, a wry nod to the indeterminacy of modern art, belies the precision of its execution. Here, Landfield deploys his signature technique of stained color fields, where thinned pigments bleed into raw canvas, creating an illusion of depth that oscillates between flatness and spatial recession.

The work’s composition reflects Landfield’s engagement with the Color Field tradition, yet it resists easy categorization. Unlike the monumental scales of Rothko or Newman, Something Else operates on an intimate scale—originally just over six feet tall—inviting close inspection of its layered veils of color. The interplay of ochre, umber, and muted violet in this print reveals Landfield’s debt to both the lyrical abstraction of Helen Frankenthaler and the architectural rigor of Barnett Newman’s "zips." As the critic The Art Story notes, Landfield’s work from this era often "balances spontaneity with geometric discipline," a duality that defines this piece’s tension between chaos and order.

Landfield in 1967: Between Lyricism and Structure

By 1967, Ronnie Landfield had already begun to carve out a distinct position within the New York School’s second generation. Unlike his peers who embraced hard-edge geometry or minimalist reduction, Landfield pursued what he called "lyrical abstraction"—a term that underscores his commitment to emotional resonance without sacrificing formal innovation. Something Else arrived at a pivotal moment: the year before, Landfield had exhibited alongside Larry Zox and Dan Christensen in the influential Three Young Americans show at the Whitney Museum, which positioned him as a key figure in the evolution of post-painterly abstraction.

This work’s layered composition reflects Landfield’s technical experiments during this period. He often began with large, unprimed canvases, applying diluted acrylic or oil in successive washes that would pool and separate organically. The result, as seen in this print’s reproduction, is a surface that appears both deliberate and accidental—a quality that aligned with critic Clement Greenberg’s advocacy for "opticality" in painting. Yet Landfield’s approach differed from Greenberg’s formalist dogma; his stains and veils of color were less about pure retinal effect than about evoking what he described as "a sense of place without illustration."

Something Else doesn’t merely occupy space—it redefines it. Landfield’s layered transparencies create a visual rhythm that pulls the viewer into a shallow but infinite depth, where color becomes architecture.

The Alchemy of Stained Color

Composition: A Study in Asymmetrical Balance

The framed print reveals Landfield’s meticulous yet intuitive approach to structure. Unlike the centralized compositions of his earlier works, Something Else employs an off-kilter arrangement of color masses that seem to float within the picture plane. The dominant ochre rectangle anchors the left side, while a narrower violet form on the right creates a counterbalance. This asymmetry generates a subtle tension, as if the elements are suspended in a state of quiet flux.

Surface and Technique: The Illusion of Depth

Landfield achieved the work’s luminous effect through a process of additive and subtractive layering. He would first saturate the canvas with thinned pigment, then partially blot or wipe areas to expose underlying hues. In this print, the interplay between the warm ochre ground and the cooler violet overlay produces an optical vibration—a hallmark of his technique. The absence of brushstrokes in the original (faithfully reproduced here) directs attention to the interaction of color itself, rather than the artist’s hand.

Where Something Else Finds Its Ideal Home

This 30×40 cm (12×16") framed print thrives in spaces that balance modernity with warmth. Its earthy palette—ochre, umber, and muted violet—pairs effortlessly with Scandinavian interiors, where natural wood tones and neutral walls allow the color interactions to take center stage. Consider positioning it above a low console in a living area or as a focal point in a minimalist bedroom. The print’s vertical orientation makes it particularly effective in narrow spaces, such as a hallway or beside a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.

For bolder settings, contrast the work’s organic forms against industrial elements: a concrete wall, blackened steel shelving, or a dark-stained oak frame (though the included gallery framing already provides a polished finish). Avoid overly busy backgrounds; the subtlety of Landfield’s layers rewards close viewing. In offices or creative studios, this piece fosters an atmosphere of contemplative energy—ideal for spaces dedicated to thought and innovation.

More Works by Ronnie Landfield

Explore the evolution of Landfield’s stained-canvas technique through these key pieces from the late 1960s and 1970s.

Ronnie Landfield

All Over Pour Painting

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Ronnie Landfield

Brown Wall

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Ronnie Landfield

Sun Castle

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Ronnie Landfield

Cheat River

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