Seven Studies c. 1950

Franz Kline made this series of studies on paper with ink, and maybe a little watercolor. Each mark is a decision. I can just imagine Kline there in his studio, bearing down, thinking, where does this black line go? He repeats these little rectangles six times. Each is like a concentrated thought, a testing ground. Some of these feel tentative, like he's figuring things out. Others burst with confidence, like he knows exactly what he wants. Look at the way he varies the pressure, how some lines are thick and bold, others thin and wispy. It reminds me of calligraphy, but with the volume turned way up. It’s like he's practicing his alphabet, or maybe inventing a new one. His language is made of pure gesture, and I bet he was inspired by the work of other artists. These are all little maps to a larger idea, a way of seeing the world through black ink and white paper.