J. Steven Manolis (b.1948-)
Black & White (My Long March Journey), 2016
Acrylic and Latex Enamel on canvas
48 x 72 inches
J. Steven Manolis started focusing on painting Black & White abstract paintings as a category when art critic Donald Kuspit said to him, "I see what you can do with colors, but show me what you can do with black and white."
Later, Kuspit would write, "Black is another color, as Matisse said. Manolis’ mastery of black confirms that he is a modern master … and with that an abstract expressionist…"
Manolis paints Black & White paintings on canvas and watercolors. Each year he chooses a theme to explore for the upcoming year.
"I paint in “layers," whether that be watercolor on paper, or vitreous acrylic on canvas, the process of every painting is governed by a waiting time period, from the drying of one layer to the application of the next. So time, even if only measured in short increments – minutes and hours – also dictates every aspect of my painting (and therefore) life. Yet, within this experience of time dominating everything, I am able to experience the transcendental feeling of timelessness when I paint."