The Beauty of Black & White
Black and white speaks strongly to us, we have always been a fan of the contrasting beauty of the opposite colors. In artwork, black and white starts with simple line drawings, and progresses to photography and on to stark and high impact abstract paintings. Depending upon the genre, and the use of grey, which softens the contrast, the beauty of black and white artwork is that it suits all types of interiors, from traditional to the most modern, from serious to playful.
Charcoal, a natural material was the first medium to be used in art. An artist’s training begins with pencil and charcoal, learning to draw. The classic beauty of a line drawing, a portrait, or a nude, stands alone as an artwork or is great to pair with other types of art. It can live comfortably in all types of interiors.
Black and white photography is also classic and timeless. Through the lens, the photographer is capturing an image, a form, that has clarity in black, white and the spectrum of greys in between. The use of grey softens the contrast of black and white.
We see color based on light absorption. Black absorbs all light, whereas white reflects it. When together, there is graphic impact created by being opposites of the spectrum of light. Zebras are a natural example of this.
There is much symbolism associated with the dualism of black and white. In Eastern culture, “The black and white halves of the Yin-Yang symbol are similar to the two sides of a coin. They are different, and distinct, yet one could not exist without the other.” In Western culture, they depict opposites, good and evil, light and dark, life and death.
The clean look of black and white works beautifully alone, but it's also a great choice to among other elements, it can compliment a colorful wall, artwork or fabric. It doesn't mean the absence of color, but rather used to calm and balance a colorful palette.
Whether using the contrast of black and white alone, or softened with grays, artwork in the black-white spectrum is appealing and comfortable to live with. There is something easy about the choice, calming and classic, but not boring. It is natural, crisp and a timeless choice when selecting artwork.
Explore Mudgett's powerful & timeless black and white artworks here