Sun In The East (1988)

Sun In The East: A Meditation on Color and Light

Ronnie Landfield's "Sun In The East" (1988) represents a culmination of his exploration into pure color and abstract form. Created during a period when Landfield had refined his approach to Color Field painting, this work demonstrates his mastery of chromatic relationships and spatial ambiguity. The canvas vibrates with carefully balanced hues that seem to float in an indeterminate space, inviting contemplation rather than immediate recognition.

This painting emerged during a particularly productive period for Landfield, following his major retrospective at the Knoedler Gallery in New York. Critics noted how works from this era demonstrated a newfound confidence in his handling of color relationships, with one reviewer describing them as "visual haikus" that captured entire emotional landscapes in simple yet profound compositions. Landfield's work of the late 1980s shows a clear evolution from his earlier, more gestural abstractions toward a purified language of color and form. "Sun In The East" exemplifies this shift, with its expansive fields of color that create a sense of infinite space while maintaining an intimate connection with the viewer.

Ronnie Landfield and the Evolution of Abstract Expressionism

As a key figure in the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, Ronnie Landfield emerged in the 1960s alongside artists like Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. By the late 1980s when "Sun In The East" was created, Landfield had moved beyond the gestural abstraction of his early career toward a more refined approach to color and form. This work exemplifies his mature style, where vast fields of color create an almost architectural sense of space.

Landfield's approach differed from his contemporaries in his meticulous attention to surface quality. While artists like Mark Rothko sought to create immersive color experiences, Landfield focused on the physical properties of paint itself, experimenting with additives to achieve subtle textures that caught and refracted light in unexpected ways. Landfield's contribution to Color Field painting lies in his ability to infuse abstract forms with emotional resonance. While earlier Abstract Expressionists focused on gesture and subconscious expression, Landfield and his contemporaries explored the inherent emotional qualities of color itself. "Sun In The East" stands as a testament to this approach, where the careful juxtaposition of hues creates a visual experience that transcends mere decoration.

The Making of Sun In The East

Composition and Balance

Landfield's composition in "Sun In The East" employs a carefully calibrated balance of colored forms. The work's spatial organization suggests depth while maintaining a flat picture plane, a hallmark of Landfield's approach to abstract painting. This tension between perceived depth and actual flatness creates the work's dynamic visual energy.

Color and Emotional Resonance

The color palette in this work demonstrates Landfield's mastery of hue and value relationships. Warm tones dominate the canvas, creating a luminous effect that gives the painting its title and emotional resonance. The artist's technical approach to color application results in surfaces that appear to glow from within.

Surface and Texture

Landfield's technique involved building up layers of thin glazes, allowing underlying colors to subtly influence the surface hues. This layering process created a depth that belied the apparent simplicity of his compositions.

Scale and Impact

The original painting's large scale was integral to its impact, with Landfield carefully considering how the viewer's physical relationship to the work would affect their experience of color and space.

Print & Frame Details