b/w

Untitled (detail), ink on paper, 30" x 40"

I'm preparing for an upcoming winter group show at Bridgette Mayer. The theme is "Black and White". This afternoon, I had a short chat with an acquaintance about the show, and he expressed surprise that I might do something that might literally be a black and white painting. "Are you going to sneak in a bit of color somewhere?". Without missing a beat, I said, "Probably not." He continued, "You're like me, I see you as more of a colorist...".

Guilty as charged. I love working with color, but the idea of working with only 'black and white' is intriguing. I almost never use black alone. Black is often seen as the absence of light, but I've always like mixing a lot of other colors to make 'black'. It makes for a much more interesting dark color, even if someone looking might not see it as a color right away.