ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Denise Green's 1991 Black-and-White Series and Artistic Turning Points

publication · 2026-04-23

On July 4, 1991, Denise Green painted a series of nine small canvases influenced by a friend's departure. She later realized this shift to black and white allowed her to express repressed emotions. Green sought to compare this dramatic transformation in her work with that of other artists. Alex Katz, Frank Stella, and Dorothea Rockburne responded to her inquiry.

Key facts

  • Denise Green painted nine small canvases on July 4, 1991.
  • The series was influenced by a friend's departure.
  • The shift to black and white enabled expression of repressed emotions.
  • Green compared her transformation to other artists' experiences.
  • Alex Katz, Frank Stella, and Dorothea Rockburne participated.
  • The work was published in artpress in February 1994.
  • The article is titled 'Tournants dans une œuvre'.

Entities

Artists

  • Denise Green
  • Alex Katz
  • Frank Stella
  • Dorothea Rockburne

Institutions

  • artpress

Sources