Within much of the writing about American Abstract Expressionism, the role of the natural world is often seen as unimportant -- something to be avoided, even superseded in the quest for pure, self-generated non-objective painting. American Abstract Expressionists who dared to include nature as a source for their art were often regarded as retrograde and insufficient in their dedication to abstraction. Nevertheless, several Abstract Expressionists welcomed nature into their work, and it is not surprising that some of them expressed significant links to East Asian art, aesthetics, and philosophy. One of the key figures in this regard is Rollin Crampton.

Concerning his conception of art, Crampton said it was based “essentially [on] an Oriental philosophy, especially Zen,” and that he was “very much interested in Buddhism [as] a guiding principle.” He respected Buddhism’s “regard for nature and the sacredness of life,” and was attracted to Zen’s search for “essences,” for “getting down to a certain simplicity.”

Many of Crampton’s paintings are nearly monochrome, presenting subtly nuanced surfaces of off-whites, grays, or black. Indeed, certain dark gray and black works may offer surfaces so barely inflected that they can initially appear as dense, homogenous voids. Nevertheless, many of these works have a specific basis in nature – the sea. Here, a vast, calm expanse may blend with the sky (especially at late dusk or night) to create a natural apparent emptiness or undefinable space that invites the eye and mind to contemplate upon what may lie within the indistinct, and to meditate upon the infinite.

关于美国抽象表现主义的论述，自然的位置常常被忽视——要追求纯粹、自足的非具象绘画，自然就成了需要回避甚至超越的东西。那些敢于将自然放进画里的人，往往被认为不够前卫，对抽象的投入也不够彻底。但也有一些抽象表现主义者，偏偏向自然敞开了创作的门，而他们之中又恰好有人与东亚艺术、美学和哲学生出深刻的关联。而Rollin Crampton便是其中重要的一位。

谈到自己的艺术观念，Crampton自述“根本上源于东方哲学，尤其是禅宗”。以及自己“对佛教深感兴趣，将其作为一种根本原则”。他认同佛教“对自然的敬重，对生命庄严的体认”，也被禅宗探寻“本质”、追求“归于某种单纯”的精神所吸引。
Crampton 的许多绘画作品呈现出近乎单色的效果，画面多为灰白、浅灰或黑色，在看似单一的色调中蕴含着细微而克制的变化。尤其是一些深灰与黑色作品，画面层次极为含蓄，初看时仿佛是一片浓密而均质的虚空。然而，这种“空无”并非抽象的想象。事实上，许多作品都以自然为具体依据——海洋。暮色将尽或夜色降临时，辽阔而平静的海面往往与天空融为一体，边界变得模糊，空间也随之难以界定。正是在这样的自然景象中，画面所呈现的那种近乎空无的状态获得了现实的根基。

这种既真实又难以言说的空间，邀请观者在凝视之中放缓目光，让心灵进入那片模糊与未明之境，并在其中感受潜藏的事物，体会一种关于无限的沉思。