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Untitled

Maker Franz Kline (b. 1910, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania – d. 1962, New York, New York)

Dateca. 1950

MediumBrush and ink on paper

Dimensionssheet: 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. (21.6 cm x 27.9 cm)

Credit LineGift of Melvin S. Sands and Erna Bottigheimer Sands (Class of 1929)

Object number1993.35

Status

Not on view

RightsCopyright is retained in accordance with U.S. Copyright laws

Photo creditDavis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA

More Information

Object Label

With ink and a brush, Kline creates a dynamic universe of abstract shapes in this work. The brushstrokes vary in thickness and tone. Some are as thin as ligatures, while others are so thick that they become planes. As the dry, split brush tip flies across the paper, it renders slits of parallel white marks, a technique inspired by the long-established aesthetic of feibai 飛白or “flying white” in East Asian calligraphy. Here, these “flying white” strokes demonstrate the rhythm with which Kline paints. The gestural strokes evoke the smooth spontaneity of the cursive script in Japanese and Chinese calligraphy. In the early 1950s, Kline was in close contact with Japanese calligraphers, including Morita Shiryū森田子龍 (1912-1998). From different cultural backgrounds, Japanese calligraphers and Kline nonetheless employed similar visual approaches using ink and brush. Their mutual understanding and mutual appreciation facilitated the promotion of Abstract Expressionism in the East and calligraphy in the West.