Grey Area

    Inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s works Fuse and Automobile Tire Print, these images depict a certain emotion that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer, without the lens of color. 

One might look back in time to the creation of the great Guernica by Picasso. By only using black, white and grey, Picasso was able to create one of the most iconic paintings of the Spanish Civil War era. This painting portrays the emotions of individuals effected by the war. On the left side, we see the grotesque image of a woman holding her dead child, crying out in grief. Other figures lie dead on the ground, or in another form of pain. A man on the right side of the painting is reaching for the sky yelling for help. Yet not one drop of color is on this canvas, not even for the added effect of blood. Picasso is able to capture the emotions of the people without any form of color, only subject matter. When one person looks at this painting they get an intense feeling inside of them. Weather its hate, anger or sadness, Picasso’s work of art struck deep with the people that it was painted for. 

Now not all modern works of art portray emotion in the same was that the great cubist artist Picasso did. Some use subject matter to tell a story, while others use a type of motion or maybe the contrast between the areas of darkness and lightness to tell theirs. I think the two Rauschenberg pieces I chose do a great job of just that. Fuse is an abstract painting that casts a feeling of chaos onto the viewer. Droplets  of paint move outward from the painting in a chaotic manner. If this painting were done in color, I think it would have a much different impression on the viewer. My selection of images raise questions of moral integrity. Each piece of art has been selected because of its unique ability to deliver a powerful message, without the artist using color. These images in combination form a gallery that would prompt most viewers to ask themselves inner questions of what is right and what is wrong, and then relating it to their own lives. Many think that everything is "just black and white" or "yes or no" but when we look closer, we see how between the battle of contrast a wonderful thing I am calling  the Grey Area, is created. While color is constant and sometimes quite obvious in meaning, images displayed without this trait can carry a completely different message. Viewers will look at the beautiful clash of contrast in these works of art and see different examples of motion, good and evil, chaos, sharpness, simplicity and many other things, all without the assistance of color. I hope you enjoy the Grey Area.