#7 Franz Kline (1910 - 1962)

Four Square
1956
oil on canvas
78 3/8 x 50 3/4 in.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Tremaine
1971.87.12
​National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Watch this again if you need to.... it's a really good review of the AbEx movement that Franz Kline is associated with. Try to get a feel for the "mood" of the day and the role that artists like Kline took upon themselves. 

What should you know about Franz Kline's painting techniques? What ideas can you glean for your own work?

Read: Franz Kline Discussing Black and White (1960). After investigating color theory and simultaneous contrast - AND knowing the important role that color can play in a work of art.... consider why he took this achromatic approach. What approach might you take?

DEFINE:

• Gestural
• Iterative
• Action painting​​​
• Scumble

​AFTER CAREFULLY REVIEWING THE RESOURCES ASSIGNED ABOVE: Answer the following questions completely and with specificity to the provided resources, notes taken, personal reflection, and additional research as needed. Make sure to consider how this information is relevant to your current work and practice.

1. What were the Abstract Expressionists trying to express? 
2. How did Franz Kline arrive at abstraction in his work?
3. Why did Franz Kline like using house paint, an unconventional material for fine art?
4. Explain Kline's use of black and white. Will you use color or not? If so, which ones and why? If not, why?
5. Compare/contrast Franz Kline’s "Four Square" and Whistler’s "Nocturne in Black and Gold"