Nash Gallery - Michelle Hurley
I was drawn to "The Sacrifice of Isaac" by an unknown artist done in the seventeenth century. I'm currently reading through one of those "Read the Bible in a year" bibles, and had just recently read this story. I was moved by this drawing because it was not polished and refined; the lack of defined lines allowed the viewer to see Abraham's inner struggle: I have to do what God says, but I don't want to...God gave me this son in my old age, but now He wants me to kill him? I also thought that the fact that the brown ink was very light and not always distinguishable against the cream colored page further showcased Abraham's confusion; the lack of other colors allowed the piece to be centered entirely on the situation rather than elaborate color choices or patterns. (The viewer can't get caught up in the color of Abraham's clothing rather than his situation.)
Secondly, I was taken in by Glen Allison Ranney's "Raspberry Farm". I'm a sucker for anything black and white (though usually photography), and this--like the above--was not overly refined and polished. The picture had a serene atmosphere, which is surprising considering the stark contrast of black on white. I did find myself longing for some color, though: my family lives on a dairy farm with a big garden and a huge raspberry...well, field basically (it keeps branching out of its own accord and may one day indeed swallow the rest of the garden). The deep color of raspberries and the green of the leaves is stunning and would be the best way visually in my mind to capture something titled "Raspberry Farm," but Ranney apparently had a different interpretation. Either way, it still evokes a stillness that comes at the close of the day when things begin to calm (and the sun casts large amounts of shadow, like in the drawing) whether your raspberry "farm" is black and white or in full color. I love the serenity of country life and felt that this drawing captured it without words and transported me a hundred miles away while standing in the middle of a large city.