The Simple Truth: The Monochrome in Modern Art

The monochrome—a single—color work of art—is highly ambiguous. For some it epitomizes purity and is art reduced to its essence. For others it is just a stunt, the proverbial emperor’s new clothes. Why are monochrome works both so admired and such an easy target of scorn? Why does a monochrome look so simple and yet is so challenging to comprehend? And what is it that drives artists to create such works?

In this illuminating book, Simon Morley unpacks the meanings of the monochrome as it ha...