At a time when contemporary artists are experimenting with revolutionary new technologies, as well as reinvigorating black and white photographic traditions, The Ravestijn Gallery presents Monochromatic – an exhibition of works by 15 international artists, running till June 10. Their separate applications of black and white images are manifold; in the works of Eva Stenram and KYoung black and white evokes nostalgia for the past, cut through elsewhere by both artists’ use of digital manipulation. For Robin de Puy and Michael Bailey-Gates, its inky depths give weight to the portraits of those who demand to be seen. Black and white lends a gloomy air to the unsettling images of both Tereza Zelenkova and Asger Carlsen, enhancing a shared affinity for the macabre. For Nico Krijno, greyscale punctuates his otherwise vibrant stream of images, offering pockets of contrast to a richly-coloured universe, whilst in Pacifico Silano’s work, colour palettes derive from the archival materials he gathers and refashions – faded through handling and the passage of time. Boris Eldagsen’s The Electrician – the aforementioned work at the centre of recent debate – also features, offering an anchor for broader reflections on the real, the fictitious, the old versus the new, and the spaces that sit between black and white.
Photographers : Michael-Bailey Gates (US), Blommers & Schumm (NL), Katie Burnett (US), Asger Carlsen (DK/US), Inez & Vinoodh (NL/US), Boris Eldagsen (DE), Emile Gostelie (NL), Nico Krijno (ZA), KYoung (UK), Anja Niemi (NO), Robin de Puy (NL), Pacifico Silano (US), Christopher Smith (ZA), Eva Stenram (SE), and Tereza Zelenkova (CZ).
Monochromatic
April 29 – June 10, 2023
The Ravestijn Gallery
Westerdok 824
1013 BV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.theravestijngallery.com
