Strength from the Sea

Gene Kloss

The unbridled power of the Pacific Ocean as it clashes with the coast of California is the theme of Gene Kloss's etching, "Strength from the Sea." Monterey cypress rise precariously from the clifftops and waves churn below; above, a storm envelopes the sky. California land- and seascapes were common themes of Kloss's work, and her printed imagery remains among the strongest of the era, capturing a mood as much as a scene.

Kloss created a series of etchings depicting the powerful beauty of Point Lobos and Strength from the Sea is one. This spectacular ocean shoreline is probably the most recognizable spot on the California coast. Today this location is known as the Point Lobos State Reserve and is considered the crown jewel in the California state part system.

Gene Kloss, painter and printmaker, was born Alice Geneva Glasier on 27 July 1903 in Oakland, California. She graduated with honors from the University of California Berkeley in 1924. During her last semester in UC Berkeley, Kloss participated in seminar given by Perham Nahl and with his encouragement she made her first etching. She further her studies for another two years attending classes at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco and the California School of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California.

In 1925, she wed the poet Phillips Kloss and they visited Taos, New Mexico for the first time. Also, this year, she stopped using her first name, shortened her middle name to Gene, and used her husband’s surname. In de-feminizing her name, Gene Kloss’ work was selected for exhibitions without the prejudicial, sexist discrimination encountered by women in all fields.

Gene and Phillips divided their year between Berkeley, California and Taos, New Mexico until they settled permanently in Taos in 1953. During the Depression Kloss made prints for the PWAP and WPA/FAP in New Mexico but during the World War II the Klosses spent most of their time in Berkeley, where Phillips worked in a shipyard. After the war, they began building their home near Taos.