Abstract Expressionists “J...-L...-”
for history of art and social studies classrooms.

Jasper Johns
b. 5-15-1930; Augusta, GA

Painter and printmaker Jasper Johns is best known for his “Flags”, “Numbers”, “Maps”, and “Stenciled Words” in the pop-art genre.

Franz Kline
b. 5-23-1910; Wilkes-Barre, PA
d. 5-13-1962; NYC (heart disease)

Franz Kline best known paintings are in black and white rememiscient of Japanese calligraphy and very enlarged sections of industrial and architectural structures. Despite the seeming lack of planning, the works are in fact examples of practiced spontaneity - Kline was known to make many draft sketches.

Franz Kline quotes ~
• “If you're a painter, you're not alone. There's no way to be alone.”
• “The final test of a painting, theirs, mine, any other, is: does the painter's emotions come across?”
• “The nature of anguish is translated into different forms.”
• “You instinctively like what you can't do.”

• Franz Kline (1910-1962)

Willem de Kooning
b. 4-24-1904; Rotterdam, The Netherlands
d. 3-19-1997; New York City

De Kooning entered the US as a stowaway in 1926 and he supported himself with commercial art work based on his eight years of training at the Rotterdam Acadmey of Fine Arts. He also worked for two years with the WPA Federal Art Project until his undocumented status was revealed at which time he began to explore creative art through painting. His most noted stark black and white works arose out the poverty of not being able to afford anything more than black and white house paint.

He and his wife Elaine de Kooning were prolific artists of the mid 20th century.

Willem de Kooning quotes ~
• “The attitude that nature is chaotic and that the artist puts order into it is a very absurd point of view, I think. All that we can hope for is to put some order into ourselves.”
• “The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all of your time.”
• “I don't paint to live, I live to paint.”

• Willem de Kooning: Works, Writings, Interviews

Morris Louis (Morris Louis Bernstein)
b. 11-28-1912; Baltimore, MD
d. 9-7-1962; Washington, DC

Morris Louis' “veil” paintings consist of bands of brilliant colors, or long parallel strips of pure color, arranged in a rainbow effect.

• Morris Louis in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston