“MW letter” by Merrill Wagner The Shore Institute of the Contemporary Arts (SICA) in Long Branch presents “Paint It Black” from April 29 through June 4.
Curated by Douglas Ferrari, SICA’s executive director, the exhibit explores the significance of black in the work of some artists who utilize this potent color.
An opening reception was held April 29, and a panel discussion will take place on Thursday, May 19, at 7 p.m. SICA is located at 20 Third Ave. in Long Branch.
According to Ferrari, in Western culture, the color black has a long association with the negative — sin, evil, voids, holes, depravity, the sinister and the absence of light.
“Rounding the Cape” by Karen Gunderson “Paint It Black” draws attention to artists who have used a predominantly black palette in their bodies of work, and explores the reasons for their choice of black.
Through this show, Ferrari said viewers will discover that these reasons are as diverse as the motivations for art-making itself; that these artists are attempting to draw out of the void issues of transcendence, social pressures, purification, spiritual values and racial identities.
Participating artists include Chakaia Booker, Karen Gunderson, Kocot & Hatton, Gary Kuehn, Sol Lewitt, Quentin Morris, Louise Nevelson, Lars Strandh, Ad Reinhardt, Richard Serra and Merrill Wagner.
Hours at SICA are Wednesday Thursday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SICA is a nonprofit whose primary goal is to increase the general public’s accessibility, awareness and appreciation of the contemporary arts in central New Jersey.
For more information, visit www.sica.org.