In the strictest sense, white is the absence of color, but it is also true that black and white exist on the same spectrum. On the neutral gray color spectrum, black and white are found on the extreme opposite ends intimating that restricting a painting’s colors to those of black and white, makes the painting monochromatic.
Horse’s Skull with White Rose (1931) by Georgia O’KeeffeZebra (1937) by Victor VasarelyMahoning (1956) by Franz KlineThe Marriage of Reason and Squalor, II (1959) by Frank StellaUntitled (Black on Gray) (1969) by Mark Rothko
Black and white painters use the absence of color to maximize impact. The stark contrast between black and white emphasizes contrasting realities and ideals.
Black and white artists produce paintings that are called monochrome paintings. Monochrome means one color; in terms of artwork, it refers to art that incorporates only one color.