Untitled c. 1950s

Franz Kline made this untitled piece with ink on paper, and it's all about the push and pull of dark and light. I imagine him standing over the paper, brush loaded, making these bold, assertive marks, letting the ink bleed and pool in certain spots. There’s an energy here, right? Like he’s wrestling with something, maybe an emotion or an idea, trying to pin it down with these stark, black strokes. The texture is amazing, some areas are thick and dense, while others are thin and washy. I like the way the sweeping gestures at the top almost look like branches reaching up, and the blotchy ink and marks really gives it feeling. Kline was part of a movement with the other painters all talking to each other through their work, like a big, messy conversation across canvases and time. It’s all about the gesture, the mark, and how it communicates feeling, intention, meaning. It's a conversation that we can all join.