Dr. Mabuse

Jacob Kainen

Jacob Kainen’s dismissal of both labels and the art world’s demand for categorization led him to freely explore styles at his own pace. In the simplest terms, his style began in representation and ended in non-representation, but aside from these contributing factors the path of his creativity remained delightfully unexpected throughout his career. One small common thread is evident, however: the theme of symbols. From the smallest etching of a city scene to the largest intaglio abstraction, the viewer will likely find some semblance of symbology within the work.

In his lithograph “Dr. Mabuse” and its cryptic reference to a Fritz Lang film character, there is no discernible meaning to the cross in the upper right, one which, as with other symbols, appears throughout many of his works. In the end, however, no explanation is needed. The piece is a satisfying study in composition, color, and technique.

Kainen experimented with different mediums and explored many styles, yet he identified himself as a painter. His work took root in the Social Realism of the 1930s and the WPA, later becoming involved in the development of Abstract Expressionism. Fiercely independent and anti-establishment, he rejected labels and moved from visceral abstractions to figurative work to abstraction again, refining these styles at his own pace. His work became well known for its variations and diversity, color, and form, and explorations of light and space.