Sherron Francis – Beyond the Stain

An exhibition of nine paintings created between 1977 and 1983 by Color Field and Lyrical Abstraction painter Sherron Francis, featuring works from a pivotal period when she expanded the language of stain painting. About Lincoln Glenn Gallery is pleased to present Sherron Francis: Beyond the Stain, an exhibition of nine paintings created between 1977 and 1983 by the acclaimed Color Field and Lyrical Abstraction painter Sherron Francis. On view from September 10 through October 24, 2026, at the gallery's Chelsea location, the exhibition brings together a remarkable group of works from a pivotal period in the artist's career, when she expanded the language of stain painting through increasingly complex surfaces, textures, and material experimentation. The exhibition includes White Shade of Pale, Pete's Neck, Fogbank, Zelda's Veldt, Doubling, and a selection of monumental untitled canvases dating primarily from 1979. By the late 1970s, Francis had already achieved notable success within New York's art world. After exhibiting at the 1973 Whitney Biennial and receiving a pair of solo exhibitions at the legendary André Emmerich Gallery, she emerged as one of the most compelling voices among a generation of painters who revitalized abstraction in the wake of Abstract Expressionism. Critics praised her ability to create paintings that were simultaneously delicate and powerful, filled with subtle chromatic shifts and luminous atmospheric effects. Her work attracted collectors including Helen Frankenthaler and Clement Greenberg and was exhibited alongside many of the leading artists of the era. The paintings in Beyond the Stain reveal Francis at a moment of transformation. While maintaining the radiant color relationships that distinguished her earlier stain paintings, she began incorporating acrylic gels, mixed media, and increasingly tactile surfaces. Forms become less defined and more elusive, emerging from layers of pigment that seem suspended within the canvas. Veils of pale lavender, rose, blue, ivory, and gold dissolve into one another, creating compositions that evoke weather, light, landscape, and memory without ever settling into representation. Works such as Fogbank and Pete's Neck suggest the artist's deep connection to the North Fork of Long Island, where she spent summers beginning in the early 1970s and later settled permanently. Yet these paintings remain fundamentally abstract. Rather than depicting a specific place, Francis captures fleeting sensations—the movement of mist across water, the glow of evening light, or the dissolution of form in the atmosphere. The exhibition culminates with Doubling (1983), a work that demonstrates the increasingly physical character of Francis's painting during the early 1980s. Here, the artist's exploration of texture and materiality becomes more pronounced, anticipating the clay and sculptural works she would begin producing shortly thereafter. The painting stands as evidence of Francis's restless experimentation and refusal to remain confined by the conventions of Color Field painting. An illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM. For additional information or general inquiries, please contact Lincoln Glenn Gallery at gallery@lincolnglenn.com or (646) 764-9065. For press inquiries, please contact Jenny Mushkin Goldman at jenny@agencyesta.com. Read more Toggle Mixed media Painting