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Black and White Day
"A single matchstick
is all it takes to brighten
the chaotic dark"
"7 haiku on the light and dark", Richard J. Heby
In a world full of rainbow colours, sometimes it is the stark contrast between black and white and the spectrum of shades of grey betwixt and between that illuminates. The ability to see colors is not universal in the animal kingdom. Colour detection allows the ability glean valuable sensory information about the environment - to forage, avoid predators, and find high-quality mates. Animals whose visual systems evolved to operate in dim light, in contrast, view their world in textured shades of black and white. Black and white photos and films remain popular for their have a distinct look and feel and their ability to focus attention without the distraction of colours. Shadows and Light have been a challenge for artists for centuries, and photographers who specialize in black and white approach their art with a different eye. This tartan was created to embody the beauty of black & white and was inspired by the idea of merging the Scottish tradition of weaving tartan with the Japanese tradition of Suibokuga, monochrome painting using ink and water. 🖤 📷 🤍🇯🇵
Black and White Day takes its inspiration from the date format for January 10th, 01/10 or 10/01, depending on your region, and marking the contrast between existence and absence as applied to the light and dark in art.
This tartan was designed by Keiko Ishii to celebrate the beauty of black and white. inspired by the idea of merging the Scottish tradition of weaving tartan with the Japanese tradition of Suibokuga, monochrome painting using ink and water.
Suiboku-ga, Japanese monochrome ink painting, a technique first developed in China during the Sung dynasty (960–1274) was taken to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks in the mid-14th century.
The bold use of black ink strokes and washes allowed suiboku-ga artists to eliminate from their paintings all but the essential character of their subject, an aim closely related to the pursuit of Zen Buddhism. Although suiboku-ga was popular well into the Tokugawa period (1603–1867), it soon lost its spontaneity and became formalistic in style.
For more on this ancient painting style, click the modern black and white photoby Hengki Koentjoro titled "Uman's Tree."