Mahoning 1956

Franz Kline made "Mahoning," an oil on canvas, sometime in the 1950s. Look at how Kline attacked this canvas, leaving huge swathes of black paint. It's so gestural, almost like action painting. Up close, the surface reveals a real history of mark-making. Kline’s brushstrokes aren't just black, they're built up, thick in some places, almost dry-brushed in others, where you can see the canvas peeking through. The white isn't just a background; it fights back, pushing and pulling against the black, creating depth. The texture tells a story of speed and energy. Look at the bottom right corner; you can almost see the ghost of a brushstroke, a memory of the artist’s hand. Kline was really into the dynamic energy of the city, and I think it shows. For me, it recalls the work of Robert Motherwell in its starkness, but with a raw, almost brutal edge. The beauty lies in its ambiguity, in the push and pull between intention and accident.