Monochrome Painting's Radical Challenge to Compositional Tradition

The introduction of monochrome painting by Alexander Rodchenko in 1921 fundamentally challenged painting traditions based on composition. This development gained momentum during the 1950s and 1960s through artists like Ellsworth Kelly, Yves Klein, Robert Ryman, Piero Manzoni, and the ZERO group. Henri Matisse asserted that color drives plastic revolutions in art. Two significant exhibitions focusing on color provided the context for this examination of monochrome painting's impact. The dossier explores how monochrome works represent an absolute approach to color. This artistic movement represents a decisive break from compositional conventions that had dominated painting for centuries. The analysis considers monochrome painting as a strategic intervention in art history. The dossier was published in September 1988 by artpress magazine.