Stephen Kline (born 1943) is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in acrylics and ink.
Early life
Born in 1943 in Des Moines, Iowa, Kline spent his early years with his parents and older sister Martha in a small house on the east side of Des Moines. As a junior in high school, he designed the senior class yearbook cover for East Des Moines High School before graduating the following year and attending Drake University, where he studied art under Stan Hess and Leonard Good. After college, he accepted a position with former LOOK Magazine in their art department.
Beginning career
In 1964, Kline moved to Omaha, Nebraska where his fine art was first accepted in a museum show: the Tenth Midwest Biennial "Tenth Midwest Biennial," Joslyn Art Museum, (Exhibition Catalog) March 10, 1968, p. 13. at the Joslyn Museum,Leonard Thiessen, "Art in the Midlands: You Don't Forget Brancusi!," Sunday World Herald Magazine (Omaha, NE), 5 April 1970, p. 36. Omaha, Nebraska. Commercially, he moved quickly from the Omaha World Herald art department through a succession of advertising agencies,"Business Topics: Kline Is Art Director," Omaha World-Herald, 19 June 1968, p. 64. landing a job with Bozell & Jacobs Advertising.
In 1973, he and his writer wife Kris Limberg Kline began Kline Photography Studios, which produced both fine arts and commercial photography. During this period, Stephen was one of the leading pioneers of panoramic photography"Steve Kline: The Whole Is Greater Than The Parts," PENTAX life, VOL. 11 NO. 2 Summer 1989, p. 17.Kris Kline Sight & Sound, photomethods (magazine), Oct. 1984, p. 35. in multimedia. Meanwhile, he used every spare moment to pursue his fine arts career.
In 1982, they moved their family to Westfield, NJ. Kline was soon accepted as a gallery artist at Foxworth Gallery on Madison Ave.Aline Franzen, "Money Makes the World Go Round, Manhattan (magazine), Vol. 3 Number 8, p. 34. in Manhattan, where his work made headlines when his provocative painting Madonna and Child caused street demonstrations in 1985, It was in this period when he began combining his painting and photography into one medium. Portrait of a Painter was chosen for the 1987 New Jersey Arts Annual"New Jersey Arts Annual - Printmaking & Photography," Jersey City Museum, (Exhibition Catalog) April 11, 1987, p. 21. at the Jersey City Museum, and his photo/art piece of Isaac Asimov was printed in Communicator's Journal.Isaac Asimov, "Write, Write, Write," Communicator’s Journal, Volume 1 Number 1, May/June 1983, p. 41.
Art drawn from words
Two years after relocating to Ellenton, FL in 1991, Kline painted his first Lines of Language painting, signing his name over and over. Titled 3795 Signatures, the abstract was chosen for the 1994 Florida National,"1994 Florida National," Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, (Exhibition Catalog) 1994 Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, Florida.
It was also in 1994 that Kline designed the Florida State of the Arts license plate."Florida: State of the Arts," Art in America, May 1996, p. 31.Eydie Cubarrubia "Art Drive," Bradenton Herald, April 2, 1996, p. 1.
In 1999, Kline created his first realistic drawing using his new Lines of Language technique to create an image of Santa out of the words Season's Greetings. He had his drawing printed as a lithograph, added additional words with gold and silver applied pen-and-ink to individualize each piece, and sent them out to family, friends, business associates and patrons. The next year, when he noticed how many recipients had framed the art, he decided to use his Lines of Language technique to create his first dog lithograph.Kris Kline, "$98,000 Bulldog," Dog & Kennel (magazine), August 2001, p. 46. Throughout the next several years, Kline has drawn over 125 breeds.
Gallery
References
External links "Interview with Florida Artist Stephen Kline" Fame Booking July 18, 2019 "Florida Arts License Plate" Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Jan. 7, 2013 "Interview With Stephen Kline, Creating Dogs Portraits With The Text Of Their Breeds" E-JUNKIE.INFO, Jan. 7, 2013 "Stephen Kline" Martha Stewart Presents American Made Awards, Jan. 7, 2013 "Stephen Kline - Unique Artist" CANINE COLLECTABLES COURIER, retrieved Jan. 7, 2013