"MBTW" / by JW Harrington

The MBTW series is named for the only two pigments used in these paintings:  Mars Black and Titanium White. 

While many of these monochromatic paintings use a range of values from black through grays to white, most of the individual geometric shapes are solid, with no value gradation within them.  To reinforce the solidity of these forms, I minimize my visible brush work by thinning the acrylic paint slightly, using long strokes that extend over the entire form, using matte finishes, and applying matte acrylic varnish across the entire completed composition.

To increase the psychological tension in the compositions, I make sparing use of symmetry.  To reduce obvious interpretation of objects, I make very sparing use of shapes that might convey visual perspective.