E-catalogue to the exhibition of the same name, April 24–May 30, 2025.
Today Kline is celebrated for the powerful and heroic black-and-white paintings incorporating abstract motifs and physical brushwork that debuted in his first one-person show at Charles Egan Gallery in New York in 1950. Less known, however, is the stylistic experimentation that preceded and presaged the artist’s now-iconic work. This exhibition focuses on the imagery Kline produced in the 1940s, as he developed his most influential relationships with Willem and Elaine de Kooning and other artists associated with the New York School.
Originally trained as a figurative painter, Kline was an exceptional draftsman. Unlike other post-war Abstract Expressionists who sought out European precedents, Kline drew from memories of his youth growin g up in industrial Northeastern Pennsylvania during the boom and decline of the anthracite coal mining industry. These early works are dominated by the bold forms of modern industry including coal buildings, bridges, railroads, and train trestles. At the same time, Kline painted his immediate surroundings in New York City, drawing upon the urban architecture and energy of New York City as inspiration for structure and form.
Interiors were equally if not more important. Kline’s first wife Elizabeth suffered from depression and schizophrenia, which resulted in frequent hospital stays for her and acute loneliness for the artist. When Elizabeth was home, Kline painted her constantly, either seated in a chair or at a table, in both black-and-white and vibrant color. Some of the most profound works in this exhibition feature a solitary rocking chair, presumably painted when Elizabeth was in the hospital. Her absence in these paintings is palpable.