“People sometimes think I take a white canvas and paint a black sign on it, but this is not true. I paint the white as well as the black, and the white is just as important.”

In the 50s, Franz Kline, an artist hailing from Pennsylvania, created a series of paintings with ink on telephone book pages. Broad and spontaneous-looking black strokes cover inexpensive-looking printed paper.

Moving away from the grand theme of expressionists working on majestic canvases, his pre-meditated architectural shapes found form on telephone book pages because they were readily available.

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When observing this series, critics point out its seeming ‘action’, its influence from Asian calligraphy and the impression of speed in creation.

For us, these paintings have a different implication.

In light of the extinction of telephone books, in the age of the internet, we think these have been imbued a new life. Re-visiting these works through the eyes of a Millennial, they are lent a rustic and antique charm.

What do you think of time changing the meaning of old art? Join the discussion below. 

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