Shaker Masterworks and the Art of Martin Kline

Shaker Masterworks and the Art of Martin Kline pairs the best of Shaker craftsmanship with the works of an accomplished contemporary American artist. It is the Museum’s conviction that the “bests” of any artistic or craft endeavor will have elements in common. This exhibition encourages visitors to compare two distinctive disciplines and to determine what these “bests” have in common.

The private collection of Pat and Mary Allen, who live in Lebanon, Ohio, is paired this time with the very public art of Martin Kline. The Allens’ Shaker works have never been seen outside of Ohio. Their collection has been quietly assembled over many decades, with help from advisor Tom Queen. Martin Kline, on the other hand, has been a public figure in the art world for about as many years. His works are in the permanent collections of more than a dozen major art museums, from Cleveland to New York City, Atlanta to Houston.

All of the objects in the gallery share a devotion to intense—and intentional—craftsmanship, whether in wood, pigmented wax (encaustic), or metal. The Shaker works were all made to serve a specific purpose, and their forms were dictated by their functions. The painted surfaces of these pieces, which have aged and weathered over the past 150 years, may be contrasted with the sculptured effects of Kline’s much more recent paintings and metal castings. His works are designed to engage our senses.

The New Britain Museum of American Art is extremely grateful to the Allens and to Martin Kline for their willingness to share their “bests” with our visitors.

M. Stephen Miller, Guest Curator