Carbon Black 19 2007

Gregg Renfrow made 'Carbon Black 19', but when and with what is anyone's guess! What I can tell you is that the piece is all about process. Look closely at the way the paint is applied – it's not about hiding the brushstrokes but letting them breathe. There’s a real materiality here, a conversation between the artist and the surface. The texture isn’t glossy or smooth, but rough, like an unpolished stone. Imagine running your fingers over it. There's a light, or a horizon line, in the center of the painting which feels like a metaphor for finding clarity in darkness. It reminds me of the work of Ad Reinhardt, you know, who explored the possibilities of monochrome painting. But while Reinhardt was interested in reduction, Renfrow seems interested in the layering of blacks. In art, like in life, it's often the things we can't quite put our finger on that leave the biggest impression.