The New Color: The Return of Black-and-White

[Brian C. Miller]

I always thought that auras are that colored halo around a person or thing. You see them too, don't you? (or maybe my glasses just need cleaning...)

[Brian C. Miller]

For whatever reasons, artits and colectors didn't begin to take color seriously until the 1970s (Eggleston, Shore, etc.).

Adams was involved with Kodachrome in the mid/late 1930's. I remember reading where he was complaining that some old images had degraded and he should have made copies. I think that its a question of material longevity; not many people want to spend thousands on an image that won't last long. Now we have prints that will do 80 years at least under the right conditions.

[paulr]

I always thought that auras are that colored halo around a person or thing. You see them too, don't you? (or maybe my glasses just need cleaning...)

i think you need an uncoated lens to see auras.

[mrladewig]

Is that true? What artists today are making waves with pen and ink drawings?

Not posing a rhetorical question ... i'm curious if anyone knows of examples.

I don't know of any with pen and ink, but printing making has certainly seen a revival in recent years. I've seen special displays at various art museums on prints on several occasions over the last couple years. One of these exhibits was solely B&W work from woodcut. I'm surprised by how many print displays I've been seeing. I'm talking print making of the press sorts, not photographic prints.

I didn't realize how old this thread was when I replied.

[Jim Michael]

I am assuming the base is "aura". Why would someone use "quotidian" instead of the instead of "common" or "every-day". Art-speak. I think she likes to read her own wordage a bit too much.

Yes, one should eschew obfuscation.

[gth]

So, did this happen?

Is B/W returning to the galleries?

[r.e.]

So, did this happen?

Is B/W returning to the galleries?

It never left

At least, that was my position 41/2 years ago when this thread started, and I haven't seen anything since to change that view. Currently in New York, it looks to me like black and white is doing just fine in the galleries, although I'm not privy to sales figures.

Too bad that Tim Atherton, apart from the classifieds, no longer participates in this forum. It's a real loss.

[Donald Miller]

I spoke to a gallery owner here in Phoenix yesterday and he commented that prints of all types, etchings, engravings, lithographs etc, were down in price at least 50% when compared to four years ago. That prints were extremely difficult to sell at this time under these economic conditions.

[Kirk Gittings]

The galleries and museums in Santa Fe are full of b&w. You'd think color hadn't been invented yet.

[Doug Howk]

The 1% can still afford over-hyped work such as Hirst's. Large color sells to that group.
The more knowledgeable are looking to vintage prints - mostly B&W.

For those in the 99% who are still collecting, relatively smaller color prints are becoming like poster art - not worth much more than the cost of framing. For them, B&W retains value.