Franz Kline: Pennsylvania/New York A conversation between Irving Sandler and Professor Robert Mattison, guest curator

Very few people know Abstract Expressionism as critic and historian Irving Sandler does. In 1954 Sandler began taking copious notes of conversations with artists in their studios. In 1972, he organized “Artist’s Space,” an exhibition space for young artists. Laurie Anderson, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, and Chuck Close are among those who got their start there. Sandler’s approach to art criticism is grounded in personal friendships with artists whose work he reviewed. Sandler continues to write and is Consulting Editor with The Brooklyn Rail. He is often a contributor on CBS’s Sunday Morning, and 60-Minutes. Robert S. Mattison is the Marshall R. Metzgar Professor of Art History at Lafayette College. He is the author of five books and has curated numerous exhibitions. This informal conversation will discuss Franz Kline’s roots in Pennsylvania and his relationship to industrial history as well as his place in the New York art scene, the history of Abstract Expressionism, and the heritage of his art.