Paint It Black (Or A Really Deep Blue)

The above image captures my first impression upon entering the Mark Grotjahn exhibit at Anton Kern gallery: a bunch of black canvases. But hold on. Step closer and inspect, and you'll be rewarded. First, these paintings aren't even black but a deep midnight blue that bleeds into blackish blue. Second, the texture is so dense that your fingertips will itch to touch. You would swear that the artist painted on a raised grained wood. Grotjahn describes these works as "butterfly paintings"; however, the images look more like black stars exploding in deep space. (Images via Anton Kern gallery)