Abstract Painting

What colour is the work in front of you? At first glance, there seems no doubt that Ad Reinhardt’s Abstract Painting is black. But take a moment to stop and study this work. Did your impression of the work’s colour change? You might have seen a grid of squares emerging, each square an intensely deep shade of red, green or blue so dark it appears black. You might also have seen the shape of a cross surface in the centre of the painting. This work is one of Reinhardt’s many black paintings that bring the notion of time into the experience of viewing an artwork. Just as how your eyes take a while to adjust when you enter a dark room, it’s only possible to perceive the variations in this work after some time has passed.

Reinhardt wanted to keep his works free from references to the physical world. He therefore used turpentine to separate oil from pigment in oil paint, allowing him to skim off the glossy oil whose sheen would reflect one’s surroundings. This technique gives this work its strikingly matte surface.

Reinhardt was associated with the Abstract Expressionists, and renounced colour in 1953 to produce only black paintings. The pared-down aesthetic and repetitive nature of his black paintings explain why his works are often seen as an important precursor to Minimalism.