Shellflower, 1947 - Lee Krasner

Krasner's "Shellflowers" differs from many of her early works in that she chose color to take the place of form, in an era of her work almost totally dominated by structure, a neutral palette, and archaic or "hieroglyphic" content.

"Shellflower" is a common botanical name, given to several genera of flowering plants; while deducing which flowering plant Krasner is depicting in her painting may seem difficult, one need only consider the recurrent themes of Woman and Space in Krasner's œuvre. On the banks of rivers in New York, there grows several species of Chelone — otherwise known as the turtlehead flower.

Why would Krasner paint the flower? Only the artist can answer such questions. But, for those of us seeking to interpret her work, we might consider the medical-herbal practices of tribes native to the Turtlehead's natural range.

Chelone was used as a form of birth control historically. Was Krasner commenting on something in her private life? Are the tightly clustered, multichromatic circles representative of developing buds, developing embryos? Or is Krasner merely reflecting on the way human life imitates nature?