“There is a black which is old and a black which is fresh. Lustrous black and dull black, black in sunlight and black in shadow.”
When I first saw an Ad Reinhardt at MOMA I was pretending that I was perceiving something. I kept looking and tried to make a sincere face giving the impression that I was indeed seeing what he wanted the viewer to see. In fact I didn't see any nuances of three different blacks. I just saw one black. The guard next to the painting obviously noticing that my stern face was just hidden ignorance tried to help: “You need to stand at this angle” pointing to a spot diagonal to the painting “then you will see”. I nodded, embarrassed and took the position. He asked me if I now could see. I nodded again and smiling gave the “oh, yes, thank you...!” But in fact I did not see at all. I watched the tourists passing it by unimpressed with whispering:”Is this really art? Its just black...how?”
But I sat in front of it really wanting to see and the less I saw the more I looked. I still have to experience the “Ahhh” moment but every time I see a black painting by Ad Reinhardt I know I will look extra hard....
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