A monochrome painting is a painting created using only one color or hue. It can use different shades of one color but by definition should contain only one base color. Monochrome art seems to be the simplest thing for many, although the omnipotence of color, in its humblest, purest form, transcends the viewer’s vision. Monochrome paintings can be created using different techniques, such as using different shades of a single color, or using black and white to change the value, or how dark or light a painting is.
Monochrome art has been used by artists for more than a hundred years as a means of emotional expression, visual investigation into the inherent properties of painting, as well as a starting point for conceptual works. The monochrome often serves one of two purposes. The first of these was communicating spiritual purity; by choosing one color, artists could explore the tranquility of total abstraction. The second purpose of monochrome, for some artists, was to reduce the painting or sculpture to its simplest form so that the focus of the piece would be on its pure physical elements; color, form, texture or the way in which it was made.
Some notable artists who have created monochrome paintings include Kazimir Malevich, Josef Albers, Lucio Fontana, Robert Ryman, and Agnes Martin. Monochrome paintings can be created using different materials, such as oil paint, ink, or other media.
