In her graphic work, courageous artist Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945) employed one simple black. With profound depth, she used it to communicate her tragic lived experience. When I look at her compelling prints and drawings I forget they are just black.
In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent Van Gogh expressed his admiration for the painting technique of Frans Hals. Vincent writes, “Are they (black and white oil paint colours) forbidden fruit? I think not. Hals must have had twenty-seven blacks”. In agreement with Vincent, I find the range of Hals’ colourful “blacks” truly messmerising.
Australia’s Black Cockatoos produce a continuous supply of natural powder that coats and weatherproofs their feathers. This gives them a sheen that interacts with the light of their environment. Reflecting the sky or darkening when in the rainforest. They are profoundly colourful in appearance and character.
