Amongst the pioneering exponents of Californian Abstract Expressionism was Frank Lobdell (1921-2013) — peer of painters such as Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko and Richard Diebenkorn and a significant artist in his own right, who takes centre-stage in this groundbreaking book.

Centred around Lobdell's career, the narrative's scope is ambitious, charting the events during those crucial and revolutionary years in California and helping to define the role and participation of each of the movement's protagonists. For Lobdell, the early training and exposure to these artists helped to shape his remaining career as a painter, draughtsman and printmaker.

Unrivalled, Frank Lobdell makes an important contribution to the scholarship available on this fascinating slice of American art history, while shedding light on the career of a key artist of the period.