Art in Black and White
Art in Black and White
3 Square Art Gallery
2415 Donella Court, Fort Collins, CO 80524
April 21-May 26, 2023
Admission: Free
Review by Danielle Cunningham
Scientists believe human babies don’t perceive color at birth but only see black and white. [1] Perhaps this is one reason artists from Goya and Picasso to Vasarely and Mapplethorpe have experimented with black and white imagery as a means of heightening the emotional content of their work. By presenting a grayscale world in contrast with the technicolor most people perceive, the expected color wheel of an artwork is simplified while its drama is increased.
A view of the exhibition Art in Black and White at 3 Square Art Gallery in Fort Collins. Image courtesy of the Gallery.
At 3 Square Art (3SA) Gallery’s 4th annual juried Art in Black and White exhibition, curator and gallery owner Kumiko S. McKee leans into this novelty, assembling 51 works by 29 U.S. artists and one Chinese artist. Working in vastly different media, these artists are a dynamic example of not only regional and international talent, but the boundlessness of a classic style.
Xiaodong Yu, Eternal Moment No. 9, 2023, digital art on metal panel, 25.5 x 51 x .75 inches. Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
The exhibition’s lone international artist, Xiaodong Yu, received the Gold Award for his digital work Eternal Moment No. 9. That a digital work was given top honors by 3SA’s jurors suggests progressive insight amid current debate about the legitimacy of digital and artificial intelligence-generated artworks. Known throughout China as the country’s first digital printmaker, Yu uses his digital technique to heighten the depth of his surrealist style and is especially drawn to imaginary landscapes underpinned by real-world ecological messages. [2]
A detail view of Xiaodong Yu’s Eternal Moment No. 9, 2023, digital art on metal panel, 25.5 x 51 x .75 inches. Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
In this work, the artist renders an ominous environmental scene dominated by a large ship, which is perched atop a mountain. The giant wreck hulks over a body of water below where a tiny, bright white sailboat floats in front of the darkened mountain. The larger ship is cradled by diaphanous, ruffled forms that are reminiscent of a multitude of life ranging from marine to terrestrial, hearkening to the artist’s interest in the non-human environment. Yu places ample space between objects and settles the entire scene in an abyss-like background, lending eerie feelings of isolation to the work. These feelings are compounded by the black and white palette and would perhaps be absent without it.
Rebecca Kuri, One/Two One/Two, 2022, fiber art quilt, 56 x 52 inches. Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
Rebecca Kuri’s One/Two One/Two embraces black and white unexpectedly in a wall-hung quilt that is nearly five feet tall and wide. Kuri’s work showcases elements of distinctly American quilting styles, though it strays from traditional patterns with its modernist and Art Deco aesthetics. Rectangles of varied thicknesses cross the quilt’s surface, resembling a highway viewed from above, while a repeated, striped motif brings a welcome distinction from orderly lines. The artist’s creation of visual chaos in this way generates a tension that is remarkable for this soft medium.
Roger Sherman, Whirl, 2022, digital art on metal, 36 x 24 x 1 inches. Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
Alison Lake, Table and Shadows, 2022, digital photograph, 14 x 20 inches (framed: 23 x 29 x 1 inches). Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
Spanning subject matter from architecture, still lifes, landscapes, and portraits, photography is abundant in this exhibition, highlighting the medium’s nearly 200-year domination over the black-and-white world. Photographers such as Roger Sherman and Alison Lake articulate the reasons for this domination. Both Sherman’s Whirl and Lake’s Table and Shadows emphasize the ease with which black and white conveys light and shadow, earning Lake 3SA’s Bronze Award. Another photographic trope, the female nude, remains popular and is seen in Joe Fortunato’s Gossamer and Shiver #2 as well as John Potter’s Bare Lamp Bulbs.
Joe Fortunato, Gossamer, 2023, digital photograph, 20 x 14 inches (framed: 21.5 x 15.5 x 1.5 inches). Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
John Potter, Bare Lamp Bulbs, 2023, digital photograph on canvas, 16 x 20 x 1 inches. Image courtesy of 3SA Gallery.
A view of Art in Black and White at 3 Square Art Gallery. Image courtesy of the Gallery.
In group shows such as this, which are absent of an intentionally cogent narrative, finding connection can be difficult. However, this exhibition has a different intent. Here, the featured artists illustrate the limitless potential of black and white through contemporary trends while also presenting their clear admiration of this timeless color palette. In black and white, even the comedic seems formal, while the formal becomes dire. By revealing this truth, the exhibition encourages viewers to expand their emotional capacity—an action that can perhaps be better achieved by reverting to using their newborn eyes.
Danielle Cunningham is an artist, scholar, and independent curator. She writes about science fiction, gender, sexuality, and disability, with an emphasis on mental illness. The co-founder of chant cooperative, an artist co-op, she holds a master’s degree in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Denver.
[1] “All About Baby Vision,” Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/baby/baby-vision#birth-to-3-months.
[2] “10 Questions with Xiaodong Yu,” Altiba9 Contemporary Art, January 13, 2023, www.altiba9.com/artist-interviews/xiaodong-yu-digital-printmaking.
