Mine the Work of Franz Kline

Study how abstract artist Franz Kline's coal region roots inspired his art then create your own original industrial drawings.

• 1.

  Franz Kline was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on May 23, 1910. He grew up among sights associated with coal mining: dark, barren landscapes, industrial buildings, stark vistas. Kline typically sketched on telephone book pages. He once had the opportunity to see his work projected on a wall, and to observe the strength of the abstract shapes that he saw in his industrial drawings. From then on, his work became almost exclusively abstract.

• 2.

  Kline eventually moved to New York City, and was closely associated with important artists of the abstract expressionist movement. In his later years, Kline tried to reintroduce color into his work. Most of his art was black and white with small undercurrents of color. He painted with inexpensive house paints on unstretched canvas, in large, bold, abstract strokes. Study the similarities in his small- and large-scale creations.

• 3.

  To create an abstract painting in Kline's manner, begin by sketching a building or piece of machinery with Crayola® Colored Pencils. Use strong lines and no shading.

• 4.

  If you have access to an overhead projector, trace your drawing on a transparency with Crayola Markers, then project the image onto a large sheet of colored paper taped to the wall with masking tape. Trace your drawing with colored pencils. OR choose a section of your drawing that has interesting forms. Lightly redraw the lines on a large piece of colored paper with a colored pencil.

• 5.

  Cover a table with recycled newspaper. Use a wide sponge brush and black Crayola Tempera Paint to paint the lines. Dry.

• 6.

  Use a second sponge brush to paint in the areas surrounding the lines with white tempera. Be bold and expressive; leave some areas blank. Dry.

Benefits

• Children study the influence of Franz Kline's early experiences--in a Pennsylvania coal mining community--on the style and subjects of his art.
• Children observe the relationship between Kline's large black-and-white abstractions and his smaller industrial drawings.
• Students create abstract expressionist art of a building or industrial machinery in Kline's bold, expressive style.

Adaptations

• Interview a coal miner or tour a coal mine. Look at pictures of coal-mining regions such as the one where Franz Kline grew up. Create several line drawings of buildings or industrial equipment. Create an abstract expressionist painting with the kinds of
• Make a group of miniature Kline-like drawings with a viewfinder. Cut a small window from a square of construction paper. Place this window over a drawing you have made. Use tracing paper to trace the lines that you see. Cut out your tracing. Repeat this p
• Study the history and status of coal mining. In what areas of the world has coal been found? What are the types of coal? For what has coal been used? What mining and transportation techniques have been, and are, used? What are the benefits and limitations of burning coal? How does the energy efficiency of coal compare to other fuels for heating and generating electricity?