Untitled c. 1955

Franz Kline made this untitled work with ink on paper at an unknown date. What strikes me is how confident and immediate Kline's marks are. It’s like watching a dance, where each stroke is a gesture, full of energy and intent, and this speaks to me of artmaking as a real-time experiment. The stark contrast between the black ink and the off-white paper creates a really dynamic tension. You can almost feel the speed and force with which Kline applied the ink, the way it bleeds and feathers out at the edges. Look at the bottom right of the work, and the way Kline has used the side of the brush to create texture and depth with these simple tools, pushing the boundaries of what ink on paper can do. Kline reminds me of other action painters like Joan Mitchell, each with their own signature style, but all engaged in this ongoing conversation about what painting can be. Ultimately, the meaning is in the movement, the energy, and the raw emotion captured in these fleeting moments.