Black/White [and Read]
April 19 – June 21, 2008
Day and night. True and false. Life and death. Black and white. Explore your own dualities at Black/White [and Read], a striking exhibition of artists’ books exploring text, shadow, space, structure and imagery without the use of color. Artists were challenged by curator Gloria Helfgott to use only black and white to communicate their histories, memories and narratives, “akin to asking a writer to use only nouns and verbs and eliminate the ‘color’ of adjectives and adverbs.” The resulting works are surprisingly eloquent despite the limited palette — or, indeed, due to the creativity required to truly communicate within it.
This touring exhibition included work by 26 nationally and internationally recognized book artists from across the nation. The exhibition’s stop in Minneapolis included additional works by local artists, including prints by wood engraver Larry Welo and a collaborative print series by Philip Gallo and Elizabeth Paper.
View a sampling of images from this exhibition. Refresh the page for another sampling, or visit MCBA on Flickr to view the full album.
Artists featured in Black/White [and Read] include:
Tania Barban
Maria Barbosa
Doug Beube
G.R. Boggs
Inge Bruggeman
Béatrice Coron
Pamela Drix
Charles Hobson & Kay Bradner
Kumi Korf
Susan Leopold
Mary Ellen Long
Barbara Lazarus Metz
Werner Pfeiffer
Pia Pizzo
Lise Poirier
Stephen Sidelinger
Robbin Ami Silverberg
Alice Simpson
Beth Thielen & Katya McCulloch
Mary Ting
Nik Tongas
Susann Wilbur
Anna Wolf
Christa Wolf