Untitled c. 1950s

Franz Kline made this untitled painting with paint on paper. Looking at it, I feel like it's all about the energy of the strokes. See how the colors aren't blended but exist as distinct marks? The green is a vibrant, almost electric jolt, playing against the more subdued purples and browns. There’s a real physicality to the application, like each stroke was laid down with purpose, a record of a specific moment. The white of the paper isn't just background; it actively shapes the composition, pushing forward, creating a dynamic push and pull. It’s not hard to imagine the artist in the process of painting. It reminds me a little of Philip Guston’s more colorful, later work, but with a different kind of anxiety. Both, though, show us how art can be about the raw act of making, where the process is laid bare for us to see and feel. And, of course, to interpret, question, and engage.