Number 2 

Editor: This is Franz Kline's "Number 2", an undated piece. It is, well, intense! The stark black lines against what appears to be white feel both aggressive and… architectural, maybe? It makes me think of scaffolding against a cloudy sky. What do you see in this piece, something beyond my immediate, perhaps naive, impression? Curator: Scaffolding is a fantastic start! For me, it’s always resonated as urban calligraphy. Kline’s mark-making feels intensely personal. But then I remember… these huge swathes of black weren’t spontaneously brushed! They were often planned studies scaled up from tiny sketches. Knowing that transforms the work for me. Does knowing that planning was involved change your experience, perhaps dispel that feeling of raw, visceral energy? Editor: It does! It’s almost disappointing in a way. So, it’s not quite the immediate expression I thought. Curator: Precisely! And doesn't that tension – between grand, sweeping gesture and meticulous planning – create another, perhaps more compelling layer? These paintings were born in an era of skyscrapers; for me they are deeply entrenched in that zeitgeist of progress, industry, while retaining a profound sense of internal reflection, human expressiveness. Editor: That gives me a completely new appreciation. From the micro to the macro, almost a symbol for the modern era in brushstrokes. Thanks for shedding a light on this! Curator: The pleasure’s all mine. And see? Disappointment transformed! That's the joy of art, isn't it? Always teaching, always surprising us!