Untitled [Franz Kline, Black Mountain] 1952

Curator: Robert Rauschenberg captured this striking photograph, "Untitled [Franz Kline, Black Mountain]," in 1952 using a gelatin silver print. It offers a unique glimpse of the abstract expressionist painter Franz Kline. What is your immediate response to the piece? Editor: My first thought? Playful. It's like a candid shot caught between serious reflection and a total goof-off moment. The world outside framed by these dusty old windows... then Kline with, what is that, a twig, acting like a monocle? There's a whole vibe here. Curator: The setting certainly contributes. Black Mountain College was an incredibly influential experimental art school. The image could be interpreted as a reflection of Kline's engagement with place, community, and his own evolving artistic identity. Editor: Definitely. Makes me think of artistic incubators, those creative breeding grounds. And Kline, peering out, maybe taking it all in, internalizing, filtering... or, he’s just enjoying the breeze and messing with Rauschenberg. You never know! Curator: Perhaps both. We have to consider the power dynamics. Rauschenberg was a student, photographing his teacher. This work might also be seen as a playful, and somewhat cheeky, inversion of traditional portraiture, reflecting a shifting dynamic between student and teacher in the progressive atmosphere of Black Mountain. Editor: I love that, the "cheeky" factor. Art shouldn't take itself too seriously, right? And this feels like a breath of fresh air. Just capturing a guy being a human, maybe an artist being a human, behind the veil of their public persona. Plus, that strong contrast, it keeps it timeless. Curator: Precisely. It serves as a remarkable historical document of a formative moment in the careers of two giants of American art, while also capturing the free-spirited ethos of Black Mountain College. The convergence of experimentation and social dynamics are all here. Editor: It is that, but I still think it’s just… well… nice. Simple. Like a postcard from a very cool place at a very cool time, sent with a wink. I love a good reminder that great artists are just folks, too. Curator: Indeed. A refreshing glimpse behind the scenes, reminding us that even the most revolutionary artists have their lighter moments.