Saint Augustine

Ronnie Landfield’s Saint Augustine and the Lyrical Abstraction Movement

Few works from the late 1960s capture the tension between spontaneity and control as vividly as Ronnie Landfield’s Saint Augustine. Created in 1968, this acrylic-on-canvas piece emerged during a pivotal moment in American abstraction, when artists were pushing beyond the rigid geometries of Minimalism and the raw emotionalism of early Abstract Expressionism. Landfield, a central figure in the Lyrical Abstraction movement, developed a signature approach that fused the gestural freedom of Jackson Pollock with a more measured, almost architectural sense of composition. The result was a body of work that felt both improvisational and deliberate—a quality that Saint Augustine exemplifies with its sweeping arcs of color and carefully balanced negative space.

The painting’s title invites historical and philosophical associations, though Landfield’s abstraction resists literal interpretation. Unlike the dense, mythological references of his contemporaries, Landfield’s work often suggests landscape or atmospheric phenomena without ever resolving into figurative forms. In Saint Augustine, the interplay of warm ochres, deep blues, and vibrant reds creates a sense of depth and movement, as if capturing a fleeting moment of natural light or the shifting currents of a coastal horizon. This ambiguity was intentional: Landfield sought to evoke rather than depict, allowing viewers to project their own narratives onto the canvas. As The Art Story notes, Lyrical Abstractionists like Landfield “prioritized the act of painting itself over external subject matter,” a principle that Saint Augustine embodies through its emphasis on materiality and process.

Landfield’s Breakthrough: Color as Structure

By 1968, Ronnie Landfield had already begun to distance himself from the dominant trends of the New York art scene. While Minimalists like Donald Judd and Agnes Martin were stripping art down to its essential forms, Landfield embraced a more expansive, almost Baroque approach to abstraction. His work from this period, including Saint Augustine, reflects a deep engagement with the physical properties of paint—its viscosity, its capacity for layering, and its ability to create illusions of light and space. Unlike the thick impasto of earlier Abstract Expressionists, Landfield’s surfaces are often smooth and luminous, achieved through meticulous applications of thin acrylic glazes.

This technical precision belies the apparent spontaneity of his compositions. Landfield frequently employed a “stain painting” technique, pouring diluted acrylic onto unprimed canvas to create fluid, organic shapes. In Saint Augustine, the interplay between these stained areas and the more opaque, brushwork-heavy passages generates a dynamic tension. The painting’s vertical orientation and asymmetrical balance draw the eye upward, evoking comparisons to both natural phenomena (such as rock formations or tidal pools) and architectural structures. As the Museum of Modern Art has observed in its discussions of Lyrical Abstraction, Landfield’s work “challenges the viewer to reconcile the contradiction between the painting’s apparent effortlessness and its underlying complexity.”

Saint Augustine stands apart from Landfield’s more overtly landscape-inspired works not because it abandons nature entirely, but because it distills it into pure chromatic experience. The painting’s title may nod to history, but its power lies in its refusal to be pinned down—neither wholly abstract nor representational, neither purely emotional nor intellectual.

The Making of Saint Augustine: Technique and Innovation

Composition: The Illusion of Depth

Landfield’s composition in Saint Augustine relies on a carefully calibrated imbalance. The painting’s dominant vertical forms—elongated shapes in ochre and umber—anchor the left side of the canvas, while the right dissolves into softer, more diffused areas of blue and red. This asymmetry creates a sense of movement, as if the viewer is glimpsing a fragment of a larger, unseen whole. The absence of a central focal point forces the eye to travel across the surface, discovering new relationships between forms with each viewing.

Color: Layering and Transparency

The painting’s chromatic complexity arises from Landfield’s methodical layering of translucent acrylic washes. Beneath the dominant ochres and blues lie subtle underpaintings of red and violet, which peek through in unexpected areas, adding depth and luminosity. This technique, inspired in part by the watercolor traditions of J.M.W. Turner, allows Landfield to achieve a rare combination of vibrancy and restraint. The colors in Saint Augustine never feel garish; instead, they glow from within, as though illuminated by an internal light source.

Where to Hang Saint Augustine: A Curator’s Guide

The warm, earthy palette of Saint Augustine makes it remarkably versatile for interior settings, but its scale and vertical orientation demand thoughtful placement. At 30×40 cm (12×16 inches), this print commands attention without overwhelming a space. Ideal locations include:

Above a console table in an entryway or hallway, where its vertical lines echo the architecture of doorframes and moldings. The ochre and umber tones pair beautifully with natural wood finishes, while the blues provide a striking contrast against white or light gray walls. For a contemporary look, frame it in a slim black or walnut profile to emphasize its modernist roots.

In a home library or study, where its intellectual title and layered complexity invite contemplation. Position it opposite a reading chair to create a focal point that rewards prolonged viewing. The painting’s muted yet vibrant colors complement deep jewel tones in upholstery or bookshelves, while its abstract forms dialogue with the linear geometry of books and shelves.

Avoid overly busy patterns in nearby textiles or wallpaper; Saint Augustine thrives in spaces where it can breathe. If grouping with other artworks, pair it with pieces that share its chromatic restraint—such as a small Cy Twombly drawing or an Agnes Martin grid—to create a cohesive yet dynamic display.

More Works by Ronnie Landfield

Explore the evolution of Landfield’s abstract language 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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