Franz Kline: Action Painter

Abstract

Europe, throughout man's western history, has always been the forerunner of the arts. But within the past few decades, beginning with abstract expressionism, the United States (New York, essentially) has developed into one of the leading centers of modern art. Shortly after the second world war, in an atmosphere of despair and decay, and when humanity was capable of the most atrocious of criminal acts, the New York artist was left without a social order to identify with. This meant he could venture into anything without giving thought to social responsibility. The only responsibility relevant was to himself, which gave him unlimited freedom concerning his actions and painting.