Brice Marden, Cold Mountain Addendum

Brice Marsden is an American artist and printmaker. His work is simple, yet still intense, with meandering lines forming monochromatic pieces that use interesting markmaking for a dramatic effect. His painting 'Cold Mountain Addendum' uses ink and gouache materials over Archs Satine paper. Marden created the work using a long stick and standing at a distance from the paper to create strong yet thin lines across the whole of the paper. In 2006 New Yorker Magazine said of Marden's work "Sombre color seems at once to engulf you, with a sort of oceanic tenderness," I agree that the colour of the work instantly affects you more than any other aspect. I think that the piece has a calligraphic quality, reminding me of the marks used in traditional chinese calligraphy where often people would attach the caligraphy tools to a long stick to achieve a rhythmic flow to their work which i can see reflected in Marden's piece (see below).