“Four Square” is an abstract artwork created by Franz Kline in 1956, originating from the United States. As a distinguished example of Action Painting, the artwork employs a medium that combines collage, oil, and canvas. The movement to which this piece belongs emphasizes the dynamic and physical act of painting itself.
The artwork showcases bold, sweeping black strokes against a stark white background, exuding a sense of dynamic movement and raw energy that are characteristic of Kline’s approach to painting. These black forms and lines intersect and overlap, creating an interplay of positive and negative space. The scale of these gestural marks often suggests an architectural influence, though the work remains nonrepresentational and open to interpretation. Franz Kline’s use of monochromatic palette accentuates the dramatic contrast and emphasizes the action with which these forms were created. The spontaneity suggested by the brushwork, along with the physicality evident in the application of paint, invites viewers to consider the artwork as a direct expression of the artist’s moment of creation.