Monochrome:Layout 1
10/21/14
12:49 PM
Page 50
Much more than 50 shades of gray By Jenifer Mangione Vogt
Jacek Gancarz, San Francisco, The Castro District, Tram, 2012, Archival pigment print, 11 x 16 1/2 inches
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art&culture
“You can’t look at a photograph in black and white the same way you would [one] in color,” says West Palm Beachbased photographer Joel Cohen, one of 14 artists whose work is featured in Monochrome, an exhibition on display at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s headquarters in Lake Worth. “When you remove the color you’re dealing with contrasts and those contrasts tell your story.” The term “monochrome” applies to a work of art predominantly of a single color or tone. Monochromatic art can be of any medium; the work in this show includes painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media and photography. For many artists, working in monochrome is a temporary phase in the development of their personal style. For others, it is a signature style. Either way, it is generally the vehicle for a conceptual statement. N ichole Hickey, manager of artist services for the Cultural Council and curator of the exhibition – which is on display Oct. 31 through Dec. 6 – looks for opportunities to highlight local talent from a new and fresh perspective when developing shows in order to engage and inspire their diverse audience of artists, patrons and arts appreciators. “Monochromatic work, though seemingly simple, can be quite complex in terms of how a work is created – from the media that is used for painting or the angle that is chosen for a photograph,” she explains. Cohen counseled Hickey in selecting artists for this exhibition. He sees the show as a welcome opportunity to