Description
Franz Kline has been called the "architect" among the artists of the New York School. The dark forms in Charcoal Black and Tan, as in all of Kline's Abstract Expressionist works, appear to rest on a white ground. But upon extended viewing it becomes clear that the white and black shapes together create a flat, anti-illusionistic plane. At first glance, the force of Kline's surfaces seems to derive from spontaneous and quick execution. Kline deliberated over his pieces, however, and reworked them repeatedly. This care is indicated in Charcoal Black and Tan by the buildup of paint in some areas. Perhaps the dynamism of Kline's surfaces derives from his brushstroke, which has been directed across the canvas by such a powerful and wide-sweeping gesture that it often seems that the artist's arm could not have stretched that far or sustained the energy that the painting evokes.
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Details
- Work Date:
- 1959
- Location:
- Corning Tower Concourse Lobby
- Dimensions:
- 9'-4" x 6'-10 1/2"
- Medium:
- Oil on canvas