Title: Monochrome : painting in black and white /
Authors: Packer, Lelia; Sliwka, Jennifer; National Gallery (Great Britain); Museum Kunstpalast (Düsseldorf, Germany)
Year: 2017
Subjects: Monochromie; Malerei; Grisaille; Black in art Exhibitions; Monochrome painting Exhibitions.; White in art Exhibitions.; Gray in art Exhibitions.; Black in art; Gray in art; Monochrome painting; White in art
Abstract: Painting "without color" has long held a fascination for artists. In this striking and original book, the authors explore how and why artists from the 15th century to the present have chosen to paint in black, white, and shades of gray. Sometimes artists used trompe l'oeil monochromatic effects to represent other media, such as sculpture, prints, or photography; others have consciously limited their palette as a means of re-focusing the viewer's attention, while contemporary artists such as Gerhard Richter and Bridget Riley have often found inspiration in pushing black and white to its limits, and in new directions. The authors trace the history of this art form, from the symbolism of sacred images in medieval church ritual - epitomized in Netherlandish painting from the 15th century onwards by Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck - to the modern era and the work of artists such as Josef Albers and Ellsworth Kelly.
Contents: Painting the sacred -- Studies in light and shadow -- Independent paintings in Grisaille -- Monochrome painting and sculpture -- Monochrome painting and printmaking -- Monochrome painting in the age of photography and film -- Abstraction in black and white -- Beyond painting: Monochrome and installation art -- Your monochrome listening / Olafur Eliasson.