From dozens of Chiquita banana labels to toothpaste packaging to color-coded quality control stickers, Kelly Kozma finds beauty in everyday ephemera. “Piece by piece, she saves any colorful or textured box that she encounters, even though most are expected to be discarded after their original use,” says Paradigm Gallery + Studio, which opens the artist’s solo exhibition Watch Me Backflip this weekend.
Kozma takes an archival and interdisciplinary approach to working with numerous found materials, combining a variety of media into two-dimensional wall works, expansive textile-inspired assemblages, and voluminous suspended installations. “Watch Me Backflip embraces ideas of reusing material, interconnectedness, and the significance of the smallest interaction on a much larger environment,” says an exhibition statement.
Installation view of ‘Watch Me Backflip’ at Paradigm Gallery + Studio
“Iguana & Myrrh” and “Magma & Reef” mark the largest compositions Kozma has created. The former spans 22 feet in circumference and comprises more than 30,000 hand-stitched circles cut from a wide variety of greeting cards, found packaging, and other colorful materials. Committed to a minimal-waste practice, the artist incorporates scraps and loose threads into a number of accompanying works in Watch Me Backflip.
“As she stitches these lovingly collected pieces, Kozma creates connections between the people in her life and the objects she interacts with, inspiring mindfulness against overconsumption and emotional apathy,” the gallery says.
Watch Me Backflip opens today and continues through June 1 in Philadelphia. See more on the artist’s Instagram.
“I See Your Beauty” (2025), process control patches and acrylic on panelInstallation view of ‘Watch Me Backflip’ at Paradigm Gallery + StudioDetail of “Iguana & Myrrh”Installation view of ‘Watch Me Backflip’ at Paradigm Gallery + Studio“Peels So Good” (2025), banana stickers and acrylic on panelDetail of “Iguana & Myrrh”The artist working on the installation of “Magma & Reef”
What is the color white? Is it the titanium white in oil painting? Or is it the color of your skin, feather, cream, silk, snow, kitty, pearls, chess, lace, car, flowers, crystals, swans, wall paint, clouds and the moon? Or is it the white of a happy smile, hope, or the light of your soul? Is it the blinding sunlight, the whiteness of an angel’s wings or purity and innocence of a child? It seems that white represents no color. Yet, it means so much to us. The bride’s wedding gown. The white glow of the sublime. The ethereal beauty of a white Greco-Roman marble sculpture. White light. White face. White lilies. White room. White staircase. White dove. White snow. It’s either a clean start or cold emptiness. We see unity in the symbolism of white across many cultures but not all. White can mean either a wedding or a funeral.
Technically, white isn’t a specific “color” like red or blue. When all the wavelengths of visible light are present and reflected by an object, we perceive it as white. In simpler terms, white is “all colors of the rainbow combined.”
Ai-generated female face in neutral white hue.
What is the color white technically?
The color spectrum & white
Rainbow. What is the color white? | photo: Veronica WintersColor spectrum | Images https://www.freepik.com/ and https://pixabay.com/
All the colors we see exist on the visible light spectrum, a range of wavelengths our eyes can perceive. Each color corresponds to a specific wavelength of light. White is an achromatic color, which means it lacks a “hue.” White light is “all colors combined.” We perceive black when an object absorbs all wavelengths of light instead of reflecting them. An opposite to white, black is the absence of reflected light.
What is the color white? | photo: Veronica Winters
What is the color white in oil & acrylic painting?
Closeup of a white gown and metal from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection
While prehistoric art got created with a white chalk made of the mineral calcite, white oil paint has a different composition and history. In oil painting, the ideal opaque white is neither warm nor cool. For generations artists painted with lead white until the 19th century when everything changed. Companies began to mass-produce art supplies including watercolor and oil paint. No more hand-grinding of pigments!
White comes from substances like titanium dioxide, lead carbonate, calcite or zinc oxide. Zinc white has zinc pigments. Flake white is a softer, warmer white that used to have lead in it. Flake white is found in early Chinese painting. Kremnitz white, Venetian white, French white, and Dutch white were also based on lead carbonate and lead hydroxide. Flemish white is based on lead sulfate. Cool color, the Titanium white is the strongest and most opaque white used by most contemporary artists today. A vast majority of the manufactured white pigments don’t have toxic lead in them. However, such paint is a lot more brittle and susceptible to the environmental changes, especially if it’s mixed with the safflower oil and not the linseed oil.
A modern invention, acrylic white is a chemical-based paint that’s made of pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. It’s also made of plasticizers, silicone oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. Unlike oils, it’s water-based and dries super quickly. Used in house painting, acrylic paint dries to be water-resistant. Some artists love painting with acrylics while others don’t. Unique properties of each paint fit different creative personalities.
“Torso of river” statue fragment at the Palatine museum in Rome | Photo: Veronica WintersCanova, Napoleon’s sister, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy
What are the shades of white?
Duomo di Bergamo cathedral rose window wall. Near Milan, Italy. | look at all these shades of white! I absolutely love the use of color marble here. Also there are several different patterns and textures that describe the ornamentation of this cathedral. Beautiful!
While most people don’t think of white having shades, artists and creatives perceive a wide range of subtle variations of white while creating their art. Normally, we don’t see the difference between the shades of white unless we choose a wall paint in a hardware store or look at the neatly stacked rows of clothes in a shop.
Shades of white seen in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain
White should be neutral, but it’s often either warm or cool. Warm whites have a hint of yellow to create a sense of warmth and coziness. Ivory, eggshell, cream, antique white, vanilla, and beige are the shades of warm white.
Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, closeup of fabric and hand, 1625, Rome, Italy. This white marble has a warm tone because of warm light. The dodge’s palace in Venice, Italy. Here the white marble has a warm cast on the left side and a bluish color on the right.Neutral color of the white snow in Russia.
Cool whites have a bluish-grey undertone giving a sense of timeless airy feel. Alabaster, pearl, white smoke and snow come to mind describing cool whites. But not all snow scenes are created equal. Some snow scenes have warm, yellowish color and bluish shadows seen under the sun.
Shades of white could also lean towards a specific color like pink, peach or green. Seashell white is a soft, pinkish-white reminiscent of the delicate hues of seashells.
The crystal white tiara could literally be any color of the light projected onto it. Here it ranges from a purplish white to warm white.
One of my favorite artists is John Singer Sargent. I love his use of bold brushstrokes, color and richness of paint he achieved in his large-scale canvases.
John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864-1932), 1892, 127.00 x 101.00 cm, oil on canvas, National Galleries of Scotland.https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/5396/0?overlay=download I’ve seen this painting hanging at the entrance to the art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. The artist painted ultra wealthy individuals and often participated in the arrangement and choice of gowns on his models. According to the museum’s notes, living a lavish lifestyle, Gertrude had to sell several paintings including this one to the National Gallery of Scotland in 1925!
Regardless, I love how fluid and beautiful the white fabric is here. Look at all these shades of white!
John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864-1932), a closeup of the painting revealing beautiful shades of white shifting from warm to neutral to cool white.Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art While her face appears artificial lacking life and character I love how the artist painted all these different white garments! They range from neutral white in her robe to a warm white of silk cover to a pinkish white skirt. Also, a single string of white pearls matches the warmth of the silk. The background has some white elements that are greyed down and subdued to bring the figure forward.Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Symbolism of White across Art History
Paul Delaroche, The execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833, National Gallery, London, a closeup of hands and white gown. Photo: Veronica Winters | Here the white fabric is warm while the “grey” shadows are neutral and warm somewhat as well.Antonio Canova, Napoleon’s sister, Venus Victrix, 1805-08, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy | The light is warm hitting the marble casting bluish-grey shadows.
The symbolism of the color white is quite astonishing if we think about it. There are universal associations with this color as well as the nuanced meanings of white depending on culture or context. One color. Two opposite associations.
Positive associations with the color white
In Christianity, white represents purity, innocence, and divinity.
Think of the white angels, white robes of monks and heavenly figures, a white dove or the white lilies of the Virgin Mary.
The Ghent Altarpiece. Adoration of the Mystic Lamb: The Archangel Gabriel, 1432. Here, Gabriel brings the white lilies to Mary in the annunciation. These flowers mean purity and virginity. The archangel wears a white robe with beautiful pearls decorating the fabric.Dressed in a beautiful white gown, the heavenly figure of Mary soars on a white cloud. This is one of the most beautiful religious sculptures I’ve seen in the European churches.Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American ArtMichelangelo Caravaggio, a closeup of a painting “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1597. We see an angel playing music wrapped in swirling white fabric.
While the white clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven, the ethereal glow of white light represents heaven and the divine, spiritual purity, enlightenment and truth.
John Duncan, 1866-1945, Scottish, St.Bride, 1913 detail | Scottish National Gallery | White clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven. It’s the color of the ascension into the Heavens.This is the official emblem of the pope with a dove or the Holy Spirit depicted in the center of it. I think I saw it in the Vatican, Italy. I love how Italian artists used colored marbles and stone to decorate the churches, placing the material on the floor and walls.A closeup of the Pope’s emblem showing the Holy Spirit
White dove or the Holy Spirit is a symbol of peace, forgiveness, hope, and love. In art, it forms the Trinity and flies in rays of sunlight with an olive branch in its beak.
Mexico City, MexicoPortrait of Pope, Leo X and his cousins, cardinals Giulio de’ Medici & Luigi de’ Rossi. Closeup detail of the white garment of the pope. Raphael, c. 1518-1520, oil on wood, 154 cm × 119 cm (61 in × 47 in), Uffizi, Florence.
White can symbolize hope, innocence, and royalty in ceremonies.
A white wedding gown means innocence and pure perfection especially of a young bride. White is the color of light and white pearls communicate similar symbolism.
Vladimir Makovsky, to the marriage (farewell), 1894; Russian Federation, oil on canvas, Samara Regional Museum of Fine Arts, Samara, Russia, Dimensions: 115 x 99 cm. | Here, although the bride wears a white gown and is about to get married, she is devastated by the normally joyful event. The artist commented on the common practice of parents giving their daughter to marry at a young age to fix the family’s financial situation.Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, 1848 | This famous Russian painting carries similar symbolism where a young bride doesn’t want to marry an old man for money.
James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs Frances Leyland, Image source: Frick Collection, NY., Henry Clay Frick Bequest, 1916.1.133
Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collectionCloseup of a white gown and jewelry pieces from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection | White is the color of light, divinity, nobility and purity of the heart. White pearls also symbolize purity, wisdom, and sincerity. And let’s just say that these beautiful pearls make a great visual statement in paintings like this one!
White can represent royalty.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 259 cm × 162 cm (102 in × 64 in), oil on canvas, 1806, Musée de l’Armée, Paris. | You’d be surprised, but this artwork wasn’t popular at the Paris Salon when he exhibited this monumental painting. It received vitriolic criticism mainly because Napoleon looked too artificial and Gothic. However, if you know other paintings by Ingres, this is the most elaborate one! Just like another French artist – Poussin, Ingres often received poor reception for his art at the Salon. Moreover, in the middle of his career he got so fed up with the criticism and poor receptions of his work that he began to exhibit his art in his studio and private apartments. A student of famous neoclassical painter David, Ingres took a different road in his vision of art than the contemporaries and critics didn’t get. In this painting you can certainly admire a perfect balance of color, lines, objects, textures, and symbols captured in one painting. The artist’s composition is a reversed triangle. Both composition and realistic textures are reminiscent of Jan van Eyck’s painting.
French artist, Ingres puts a lot of symbolism into this painting depicting Napoleon as a ruler blessed by God. Napoleon looks like a religious icon. The artist bestows a Roman-like golden laurel crown onto his head and paints a circular-shaped throne behind him to suggest the divine power of the ruler. White ermine fur encircles Napoleon’s neck – the symbol of royalty. The emblem of bees seen throughout the Vatican can be noticed on this lush, red cloak. The golden bees represent immortality and resurrection, while the Eagle represents military might. You can read about the life and work of the artist in a concise book titled “Ingres” by Karin H. Grimme.
The sword represents the military power of French kings.The painting detail shows Charlemagne’s golden scepter – the symbol of the executive power.Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 1806, detail of the Hand of Justice ( in white).Anthony van Dyck, Henrietta Maria of France.Marie-Antoinette, oil on canvas, 92.7 × 73.1 cm (36 1/2 × 28 3/4 in.), after 1783, unknown artist, at the Smithsonian National GalleryJacques-Louis David, madame Recamier, 1800, the LouvreSargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, a closeup of white gown at The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in. Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in. John White Alexander, Repose, oil painting, 1895, American, the Met, New York | Similar to Sargent and Chase, Alexander loved to capture wealthy women in gowns at rest. This beautiful white dress stretches from left to right forming a diagonal, which is one of the ways to create a dynamic composition.
White is Heaven.
The Cathedral of Salerno inside. Italy.The Cathedral of Salerno inside, Italy. The Cathedral of Salerno was built between 1080 and 1085 on the ruins of a Roman temple.Ivan the Great Bell Tower at the Kremlin, image by Veronica Winters. | We can enjoy seeing the white stone cathedrals bathing in the warm sunlight. The Kremlin was built between the 14th and 17th centuries. The first white-stone walls and towers were built in 1367-68. The existing walls and towers were built by Italian masters from 1485 to 1495.Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple in Thailand. Photos c Veronica Winters | This looks like heaven on earth. Famous contemporary Thai artist, Ajarn Chalermchai wanted to build a temple that’s different from other wats. Normally, Thai temples are golden and the artist wanted to emphasize the Buddha’s purity who achieved Nirvana. Ajarn considered gold having a negative connotation about human behavior like lust. He put myriads of small mirrors into the white sculptures that beautifully reflect the light of the temple. These mirrors are the symbol of Buddha’s wisdom that shines throughout the universe according to the artist. He amassed a team of artists to build this beautiful site that represents heaven on earth. Wat Rong Khun is expanding as new elements are added to the wat. The admission is free for people to enjoy the garden feeling peace and joy. Isn’t it wonderful?The Alhambra was built between 1238 and 1358, mainly during the reigns of Ibn al-Aḥmar and his successors. Located in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra is one of the world’s finest examples of Islamic architecture that served as inspiration for many artists including Escher. This elaborate geometric design shows heavenly colors of white and blue. Image by Veronica Winters
White in mythology:
White crane, a closeup of a Japanese temple decoration. Photo: V.Winters | In Japanese culture, the white crane, or tsuru, is a national treasure and symbol of good fortune, longevity, and peace. It is also associated with loyalty, wisdom, fidelity, and beauty. The crane is depicted in art, literature, and mythology, and is said to live for 1,000 years. It is also associated with the Shinto god of happiness, and it is said that the god will come to a person who folds 1,000 cranes. Recently, the crane has become a symbol of peace, hope, and healing.Look at these beautiful patterns of gold, blue and white! We can see the white dragon in the center of the decoration. Two white cranes create symmetry in this elaborate decoration seen in Japan.
In Japanese culture, dragons are guardians of the Buddhist temples and their meaning varies depending on their color. The white dragon, or Hakuryuu, is a water god that controls rainfall and water. White dragons are also associated with great wealth and blessings in marriage.
The white dragon decoration, Japan.
White as a force in duality of nature:
Yin and Yang is a core concept in the Chinese philosophy that describes two opposing yet interconnected and complementary forces that are believed to underlie all of reality. They represent intertwined aspects of a whole in a dynamic balance within the universe. Famous symbol of yin and yang is the taijitu, a circle divided into two halves, each containing a swirl of the opposite color. The swirl within each half represents the seed of the other force, signifying their interdependence. In art, it often means balance, where white can’t exist without black, just like the sun doesn’t exist without the moon.
Among Neolithic jades of ancient China are bracelets (huan), penannular rings (chüeh), half-rings (huang), a flat disc with a hole in the centre (pi) and a ring or short tube squared on the outside (tsung). In later historic times these shapes acquired a ritual or ceremonial function, the pi and tsung, for example, symbolizing respectively heaven and earth.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)
White often represents all the light in the world, opposing the black of the darkness.
Viktor Vasnezov, Sirin and Alkonost. The song of happiness and sadness, 1896, The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
In this oil painting, “Sirin and Alkonost,” also referred to as “The Birds of Joy and Sorrow,” depicts two beautiful, half-bird, half-woman creatures from Slavic mythology. Sirin, on the right, is typically associated with joy and enchantment, while Alkonost, on the left, brings sorrow and mourning. Their contrasting melodies intertwine, creating a complex and evocative harmony that reflects the duality of human experience. The painting itself is a masterpiece of the Russian Romanticism expressed in symbolism that invites contemplation of life’s emotional range.
A close up of hands and lace in oil painting, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica WintersHolbein, The Ambassadors, an oil painting’s closeup of fur. London
The calming power of white:
The calming effect of white is obvious in snowy landscapes, white clouds or cashmere sweater that bring us feelings of peace. Tranquil nature relaxes our mind. Soft, white fabric evokes serenity. And white swans and snowflakes seem magical floating in water.
Snowy Gorge, Utagawa Hiroshige, Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), the Met
White can carry a special meaning in objects we often see. For instance, symbolic of new life, a white egg represents birth. Moreover, we can read the Chinese ancient legend about the origins of the world.
“Once upon a time, the universe was an enormous egg. One day the egg split open; its upper half became the sky, its lower half the earth, and from it emerged P’an Ku, primordial man. Every day he grew ten feet taller, the sky ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker. After eighteen thousand years P’an Ku died. His head split and became the sun and moon, while his blood filled the rivers and seas. His hair became the forests and meadows, his perspiration the rain, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder-and his fleas – our ancestors.” This legend expresses a Chinese philosophy, that man is not the culminating achievement of the creation, but a relatively insignificant part in the scheme of things; an afterthought. By comparison with the beauty and splendor of the world itself, the mountains and valleys, the clouds and water- falls, the trees and flowers, which are the visible manifestations of the workings of the Tao, he counts for very little.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/68969 Rank Badge with Leopard, Wave and Sun Motifs Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 18th century, China, silk, metallic thread, 10 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (27.31 x 28.57 cm), Textiles-Embroidered, Credit Line: Bequest of William Christian Paul, 1929Caspar David Friedrich, the polar sea or the sea of ice,1823–1824, oil on canvas, 96.7 cm × 126.9 cm (38 in × 49.9 in). This is one of my favorite Romanticism artists who painted the power of Nature to show its spiritual dominance over men.
White hue can also be a symbol of cleanliness. Healthcare facilities have white rooms, corridors, and doctors’ coats.
Contemporary architecture loves the color white. Both interior and exterior spaces have white paint and decorum seen across Florida’s new construction to amplify the light in the region.
White can also represent neutrality or fairness, negotiation or surrender – the white flag of surrender.
John Trumbull, The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, oil on canvas, 1826,21 × 30 5/8 × 3/4 in. image from the Yale University Art Gallery. It can also be seen in a 12′ x 18′ size at the US Capitol Rotunda. This painting illustrates the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, which ended the last major campaign of the Revolutionary War. https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/capitol-building/rotundaJacques-Louis David, the death of Marat, 1793–1793, in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. This neoclassical painting has a very careful, classical design both in color and lines. Marat was a revolutionary in France and a friend of the artist. David was also a radical thinker and revolutionary who was once an official court painter to Napoleon but ended up in prosecution and escape from France to Belgium closer to the end of his life. Marat’s skin condition made him take long baths to soothe the pain where he got assassinated. This painting represents the ideals of neoclassical art and politics- simplicity, heroism, idealization, classicism, neutrality and stoicism. Color white helps communicate these virtues.
In modern art, white can symbolize a fresh start, an open canvas, or a space for interpretation. White is neutral, blank canvas. Artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Agnes Martin explored this potential in their monochromatic white paintings. Rauschenberg first painted his white canvases in 1951 in six variations, one to seven panels. Martin spent her 40-year career exploring the perception of stillness.
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), the white skull, Chicago Art Institute. O’Keeffe often painted the bleached white bones and skulls of the animals in New Mexico. She associated the skulls with strength of an American spirit.
White means innocence.
William Sergeant Kendall, art interlude, 1907, oil on canvas, American Art Museum at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.Rembrandt van Rijn, Lucretia, oil on canvas,(47 1/4 x 39 3/4 in.), 1664, closeup of fabric and pearls. National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington, DC. Rembrandt depicts the suicide of Lucretia happening in Rome in the 6th century BC. She signifies virtue, loyalty and honor wearing white and pearls. You can read the full story here: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.83.htmlPsyche Abandoned by Pietro Tenerani, Pitti palace, Rome, Italy. Image by Veronica WintersPaul Delaroche, the execution of Lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London. The only person dressed in white – Jane Grey symbolizes innocence.Paul Delaroche, the execution of Lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London, Photo by Veronica WintersSir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780, closeup, Scottish National Gallery. The dresses in Joshua Reynolds’ “The Ladies Waldegrave” are a striking feature of the painting. All three sisters are clad in garments of a singular color: white. The material is most likely muslin, a popular choice for fashionable gowns in the late 18th century. White evokes purity, innocence, and a sense of classical elegance and timeless quality Reynolds appreciated in ancient art.Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 1793, Louvre. Photo: Veronica WintersEdgar Degas, The Dance Class, oil painting, 1874, the Met, NY | Degas created a series of paintings devoted to the theme of dance. He captured white ballerinas in rehearsals sketching in pastels and painting in oil.Gerome, Pygmalion and Galatea,1890, oil on canvas, 35 x 27 in. (88.9 x 68.6 cm), the Met. “Between 1890 and 1892, Gérôme made both painted and sculpted variations on the theme of Pygmalion and Galatea, the tale recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. All depict the moment when the sculpture of Galatea was brought to life by the goddess Venus, in fulfillment of Pygmalion’s wish for a wife as beautiful as the sculpture he created. This is one of three known versions in oil that are closely related to a polychrome marble sculpture, also fashioned by Gérôme (Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.). In each of the paintings, the sculpture appears at a different angle, as though it were being viewed in the round.” The MetFrancesco Hayez Suzanna at her Bath, National Art Gallery of Scotland. A classical painting in many ways, the white fabric forms a circle around the nude communicating innocence of youth.
White as the representation of timelessness & memory
The marble sculpture at the CA’ d’ ORO Palace in Venice, Italy.Michelangelo’s tomb, detail, ItalyI love how lifelike this sculpture looks. It shows a pope blessing the crowd and wearing his crown. The light hit it so beautifully. It’s in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
Negative white
Depending on our view of the world, specific events or cultural differences we can see the color white as cold, empty and artificially sterile. This kind of emotionless, stark white can trigger feelings of isolation, and emptiness. Moreover, white can be associated with mourning and death in some countries.
White ghosts scare us, representing the supernatural and death.
William Blake, The Ghost of Samuel Appearing to Saul, c. 1800, pen &ink, watercolor, National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington DC
White can also represent death. White shroud symbolizes death, mourning, and loss.
Vernet, Horace. Angel of death, 1789-1863, the HermitageHieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DCHieronymus Bosch Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. “In this panel Bosch shows us the last moments in the life of a miser, just before his eternal fate is decided. A little monster peeping out from under the bed–curtains tempts the miser with a bag of gold, while an angel kneeling at the right encourages him to acknowledge the crucifix in the window. Death, holding an arrow, enters at the left. Oppositions of good and evil occur throughout the painting. A lantern containing the fire of Hell, carried by the demon atop the bed canopy, balances the cross which emits a single ray of divine light. The figure in the middle ground, perhaps representing the miser earlier in his life, is shown as hypocritical; with one hand he puts coins into the strongbox where they are collected by a rat–faced demon, and with the other he fingers a rosary, attempting to serve God and Mammon at the same time. A demon emerging from underneath the chest holds up a paper sealed with red wax — perhaps a letter of indulgence or a document that refers to the miser’s mercenary activities. This type of deathbed scene derives from an early printed book, the Ars Moriendi or “Art of Dying,” which enjoyed great popularity in the second half of the fifteenth century. The panel may have been the left wing of an altarpiece; the other panels — now missing — would have clarified the meaning of some aspects of the scene, such as the discarded and broken armor and weapons in the foreground.” Taken from the gallery’s page https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41645.html
Empty white rooms can feel lonely and even scary.
Blindfolded figures often represent ignorance, inability to see, and vulnerability, but the blindfolded Lady Justice has a different meaning. The blindfold represents that justice is unbiased and should not be influenced by a person’s appearance or other factors.
Justice, from the Cardinal Virtues, Nicolaes de Bruyn Netherlandish, Publisher Frederick de Wit Dutch 1648–56, the Met, New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/423841
Whitewashing is a term denoting the covering up of unpleasant truth, describing censorship.
art museum, Metz, France
As you can see the color white carries several meanings and rich symbolism in art history and our life. What do you think of white?
PS If you see a mistake in this article, please know it’s not intentional. Reach out with the suggested correction to nika@veronicasart.com
The Color White in Contemporary Art
Ann-Marie Kornachuk, oil painting, copyright of the artistG Mortenson, Homework, copyright of the artistLorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017Lorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice, Italy. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017Jorge Jiménez Deredia, capullo, marble sculpture-contessa gallery-art wynwood 2023Filippo Tincolini, Spacesman seat, Marble, exhibited in Miami Art Context 2023Michael Buthe, white painting at Tate Modern, 1969, London. I snapped a picture of this painting in 2019. A carefully constructed composition with white stretcher bars, Buthe blurs the line between the canvas and its support, emphasizing the artwork’s physical construction.Freedom, 22x30inches, colored pencil drawing by Veronica Winters
Eli Akins of Waldo Street Pottery is a mostly self taught ceramist in downtown Atlanta, GA, with a focus on large bonsai containers. “Finding a voice within a rigid set of parameters while making art for other artists is the challenge with Bonsai Pots”.
The preferred printing supplier for potters everywhere! SmallDogPrints.com
How did you grow after the diagnosis?
Coming out of what I refer to often as a fever dream which was a couple of years of those brain tumors causing a lot of problems. I couldn’t believe the energy that I came back with. I started walking slower, thinking slower, everything was slower and I just came out of it with a ton of energy and a ton of drive. And I have been in this studio every day, when the sun comes up it’s that time.
This is a little tongue in cheek but how is clay better than the music industry?
I can speak only to myself and I am just doing my own creative thing, but instead of supporting others with their creativity I am supporting myself with my own. I think that’s what’s satisfying about it.
How many hours a week do you spend time in the studio?
Fifty or sixty hours I think. I am in the studio a lot, I love it. I live across the street from it. I walk to work every day. I walk home for lunch and come back and work until the sun goes down.
Do you have a specific style of Bonsai that you like to make your pots for?
Not necessarily style because I appreciate all of the styles. What I really appreciate the most is deciduous trees and broadleaf evergreens. Pines and junipers don’t really speak to me like maples and elms and beech and hornbeams do. I appreciate trees that drop their leaves in the winter time.
What do you typically have on coming over the speakers in your studio?
A lot of Grateful Dead. Live Grateful Dead shows. What I have learned from that that is they have made thousands of shows and in my lifetime I will make thousands of pots. None of their shows are perfect but they all have a little bit of magic in them. I don’t think any of my pots will ever be perfect but hopefully they have a little bit of magic to them.
What’s your other hobby?
Other hobbies? Bonsai! A lot of time if I need a break I just go outside and prune or water or feed the trees or whatever I need to do. So Bonsai is a big one and I have a wonderful support group of friends that I like to take breaks and go see a show and go hang out and have fun and have a good time together.
Craig Britton & Brittany Whitaker are ceramic artists currently residing on San Juan Island, WA. Craig and Britt’s collaborative work is inspired by nature and often includes hand-painted flora & fauna motifs. However, Craig’s current body of work explores texture, materiality, and the creation process.
What is the process of getting supplies out to you? There is no Georgie’s there so what’s it like?
Britt: You know, anytime we do a show in Seattle after we set up the booth one of us will make a run to a pottery supply store to kind of make up for the fact that shipping can be pretty expensive to get things sent here.
Does the tourist season make the rest of the year possible? Those short months in the summer?
Craig: Not usually. We tend to do shows in Seattle and surrounding cities in the wintertime. And do more things on our website and online to make up for those times.
What is something Britt, for you, that you can only get on the island and what is something that you cannot get on the island?
Britt: I guess for me one of the things that I love about living here is just although it is a small island there’s so many different trails that I can take the dog for a walk on year-round. It might be rainy in the winter, but I love that I can drive ten minutes in any direction and have a pretty beautiful trail to take the dog on.
How about something you can’t get on the island?
Britt: Let’s see, I guess food can be limited, although there are a lot of great local farms here and in the summer there’s so much fresh produce, it’s great. We are also spoiled having spent time in California where there is fresh produce year-round. Sometimes I notice the produce in the winter can be hard.
Craig what kind of packing is required to go to show from where you are to a Tacoma show? What is that like?
Craig: It’s usually about a week out we are getting ready for a show like that. We are getting all of our bins ready to hold all of the wares we are going to take because if you forgot something on the island, there’s no coming back. You can’t just pop back to the house to get something. So it’s a lot of preparation and just making sure we have everything we need before we leave the island.
Last question. Do you ever get Island fever?
Craig: No.
Britt: No, I guess the only thing that comes to mind is just missing the sunshine in the winter. That is the only time I feel like I want to get off the island, maybe mid-January and you haven’t seen the sun in what feels like a year. Other than that it is pretty manageable to be here.
Managing a busy art room can be overwhelming, especially when juggling multiple student needs, materials, and projects at the same time. One of the most effective ways to bring order to the creative chaos is to set up art zones. Whether you’re working with elementary students or high school artists, designing clear, purposeful zones in your art room will help with classroom management, student independence, and workflow efficiency.
Let’s explore how art zones in the art room can revolutionize your teaching and create a more organized, engaging space for students to explore their creativity.
What are art zones?
Art zones are specific areas within your art room that serve a dedicated purpose. Instead of a one-size-fits-all setup, divide your classroom into areas to guide students through different aspects of the creative process. Students will be able to navigate the studio more independently as artists. Plus, it will free you up to provide meaningful instruction instead of constantly directing traffic.
Creation Zone This is your students’ space for making art and is the heart of the art room! Consider flexible seating options, further zones by media, and easy access to reference materials and resources.
Cleanup Zone Transform cleanup into the smoothest part of your class routine and boost student ownership. Maintain order with a sink or handwashing area and clearly marked bins for trash, recycling, and reusable scraps. Make tossing trash fun with a basketball hoop!
Artwork Zone Have clear systems and locations to store completed and in-progress works. Not only does this keep tracking student work more efficient and organized, but it protects work from getting damaged or lost.
Reflection Zone Encourage thoughtful artmaking with a spot to slow down. Include sketchbooks and artist statement prompts. For a twist on the “reflection” theme, include mirrors for self-portrait studies!
Creating art zones doesn’t have to be a complete classroom overhaul. Start small and redesign one key area that needs improvement. As you start implementing your zone, adjust based on student needs. You can always add a new zone each year!
Ask yourself these questions to determine what zone you should focus on first:
What questions do students ask me the most?
What routine is consistently not hitting home for most students?
Where and when in my classroom is there a bottleneck of traffic?
Then, consider these questions to navigate design and setup:
What big furniture items can I move/swap and which do I need to work with?
How can I ensure each component is easy to identify and clearly labeled?
What is the best way to visually separate this zone from others?
Use these questions to guide how you teach and reinforce zone expectations:
What’s the most engaging way to tour the zone with students?
How can I model how to move through and use the zone as I teach?
What is specific encouragement I can give to reinforce correct zone usage?
What signage or anchor charts can I add for helpful reminders?
What are classroom jobs I can assign to maintain the zone?
What are some common challenges I may face setting up and implementing art zones?
Even the best systems take time to perfect! That said, there are a few tips to avoid common art zone pitfalls. For example, you’ll have students that ignore the zones and ask for help anyway. If this is a widespread class issue, pause and regroup. Reteach the zone’s purpose and how to use it with the entire class. Model it and have students practice it together, much like a fire drill! If this is specific to one student, have a brief discussion to determine where the disconnect may be.
Another potential struggle may be that your zone gets messy—particularly the Cleanup Zone. Get ahead of the clutter and delegate cleanup jobs to foster leadership. Leave enough time at the end of class to clean and double-check before the bell rings. Use a fun animated timer or cleanup song to keep the energy up!
Lastly, you may notice that your Early Finishers Zone is a distraction. Students may rush through their work to go play or they’re not engaged with the options. Ensure you keep artwork expectations high with clear rubrics. Provide structured choices and rotate the activities so there’s always a fresh selection.
Discover more ways to make the most of your classroom space with the Rethinking Art Room Space Pack in PRO Learning. Watch these quick videos to find out why classroom space is so important and how to create and alter your existing space on a budget.
You probably already have designated areas in your art room. Level up your classroom management with intentional zones to increase engagement and efficiency. When you spend less time on cleanup, missing artwork, or locating supplies, students will have more energy to focus on creating, communicating, and camaraderie! With clear zones, they’ll also gain confidence, independence, and a greater sense of responsibility.
What art zone will you implement in your studio first?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
Auguste Yung is a half-Chinese, half-Swedish ceramicist working out of Los Angeles California. Auguste melds wheel throwing and hand building to create unique textures and forms inspired by nature. Despite a winding path that included studying international relations and then working in TV development, Auguste found his true passion when he stumbled upon ceramics during the pandemic.
How important is it to set aside time where that is when I do ceramics?
Oh, I mean so important. We all know it takes a long time from start to finish to make any pieces but I think for me it’s easy to do that. Pottery never feels like work, it’s just something that I love doing in my free time. If I am not doing anything else that’s what I want to be doing. I want to be at the studio.
How important is it to have the clay and resources readily available for you to be able to do it at the drop of the hat?
Yeah, like you said, with a really busy schedule everything else has to be set up so I can just quickly sit down and start working. Because sometimes I will only have 45 minutes or an hour to throw a couple of pieces and I feel like I am under the clock. So I almost have two sets of tools. I have my home set and my studio set and they stay right there at the wheel ready to go. Same with the clay. I try to do as much prep as I can so I can be ready to go at the drop of a hat.
Does that mean you are keeping your supplies readily accessible also? Do you keep an inventory available at all times?
Well, it’s not so much an inventory. At home I just have a couple of bags and I am also recycling clay. I usually have a schedule and if I am starting to run out of clay I will put this out on the board and that will dry in time. And at the community center where I go they just have a big clay room where I can buy clay.
How important is it to have things in process?
My process is a little chaotic honestly. Where at any given point I have things that need to be bisqued, I have things that need to be glazed, I have things that need to be trimmed, and there are the things that I want to throw. So I feel like at any given time I have pieces that are at every stage that need to be tended to. So no matter what it always feels like if I cant think of something that I want to do in terms of throwing I know I have things I need to glaze or things I have to trim. There’s something to do no matter what.
Has community been at all important to the development of your ceramics?
The community has been so huge and so important. I mean some of my best friends now are people that I met at the studio and we see each other outside of the studio all the time and we hang out. Just being at the studio as well, you gain so much from having other people around you.
How important is the response of your audience as a motivator for you to keep at it?
I mean, it’s been such a nice thing to have truly, the positive response to when I started posting on social media and stuff. And you know, every once in a while I will get a random DM saying, Hey I just wanted to say I really love your work and I love watching your videos. It really means so much to get a message like that. In day to day life I am not getting that so much at work. You know, you might get a good job or whatever, but you are not getting a message that says, That thing you are doing, I really like it and it’s really inspiring. I would be doing pottery if no one ever watched it but it’s really affirming and heartwarming when people say, I really like what you are doing that’s really cool.
Terri Kern received her MFA in 1991. Terri left teaching to open her own studio. Terri has exhibited internationally, been featured in ceramics publications, received awards, artist grants, nominations, started a teaching website, had work on the Great Pottery Throw Down, and is now showing at the Taft Museum of Art.
How important is knowing the value of what you do?
It’s very important. I think often as artists we are not taken seriously so it can be very easy to devalue our time and our efforts and knowing how hard you work it is paramount because you have experience, you have knowledge, you have skills and you have to respect that before any body else will respect it.
You said he said you have to do the meet and greet approach. What did that mean?
That’s basically when someone walks into your studio or into your booth you say, Hi, I’m Terri Kern and this is my work. Come one in and look around and let me know if I can answer any questions.
So sitting like a lump on a log in the corner of a booth doesn’t help? (laughter) Is that what you are saying?
Surprise, surprise. I might be reading a book or when I was younger I just didn’t know how to approach people, I felt like maybe that was not appropriate. But he gave me permission to do that. People want to learn.
What happens when someone comes in your booth and grabs a piece to look at?
You walk right up to them and say, Hey, let me tell you a little about that. Either it’s this is how I made it or look at the color palette and check out the bottom of the piece because there is a little painting on the bottom as well.
Sounds like you would have to think through an elevator pitch. Would there be any practice for that then?
Absolutely. Roy told me to practice twenty minutes a day until it felt natural and relaxed when I talked to a complete stranger about why they should want to buy one of my pieces. And I practice faithfully to this day.
You tell them a little about the piece, does that mean when you are standing in your booth can you safely say that you would have a story about each piece?
Absolutely. I have a story about each piece. I title all of my pieces. Making sure to carefully select the words that describe the story that’s painted on the surface of the pieces. That’s very important. It is also important to give someone a reason to be curious about what you have created.
They say you buy from someone you know, like, and trust. How do you get that like part of it with someone you just met?
That’s a great question. I think it’s allowing yourself to be real. Telling a funny story of how you first got the idea in the middle of the night when you were going to the refrigerator to get a snack you had this idea. Everyone can relate to that. Everyone thinks those kinds of things are funny because it’s happened to them as well. So that makes you not necessarily friends but friendly acquaintances.
If you were doing an interview of yourself what do you the think that best last question would be to ask yourself?
That is a great question, Paul. And I guess it would be, After all the failure what makes you get up and go back to your studio and get back to work?
And what is your answer?
The answer is you have to really love ceramics because it is a heart-breaker. It’s fifty percent art and fifty percent science and sometimes the science fails you. You think you know a lot and science goes, Excuse me. (laughter) It’s time for a little reality check and you get a hairline crack after a glaze firing and so you have to love it more than anything so no matter what failures you have you just pick yourself up and you may cry a little bit and have a beer or something and then you get back to work the next day and just move forward.
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