Negative Space

I live in a uniquely beautiful part of the Virginia USA countryside. At the foot of the worn and gentle Blue Ridge Mountains and alongside a winding and (usually) slow moving Shenandoah River. British gentry settled the area with the aid of a generous population of enslaved people whose extraordinary stone walls greet me with every morning coffee. To this day, a wealthy society and an occasional 501C3 keeps the area largely intact with large estates and miles of open land, or fields home to horses and cattle. Lots of “negative space” to describe it further. Small villages (in one of which I inhabit) that began as trade centers for the large estates dot the region to flank all our negative space.

There is a particular Estate in our community that has found it’s mission to protect it’s grounds and manor as a home for retired and rescued horses, the occasional dog show, site for spectacular Weddings and the occasional Memorial for beloved community figures. In the largely vacant Grande Dame of a house, Art shows and Historic exhibits often grace the vast open walls to share with the broader community. I and the community are grateful for this. I and several of my friends have had the opportunity to share our art in this beautiful space.

Recently I visited an Opening for an Art exhibit celebrating the work of a local artist. I can speak from experience that the opportunity to share one’s art on these beautiful walls is an honor and excitement is merited. Large work can sing in these spaces and the canvases shown this night were large, bright and plentiful. Too plentiful. The viewer’s eyes could not settle on any single piece without the visual noise of it’s neighbors.

There is also an ancient operating grain mill in my village in our small community. A large portion of the sustenance for the upkeep of this mill comes from two extraordinarily large art fairs. For a few weeks, Spring and Fall, art of every size and description is hung floor to 12’ ceilings across breadths of walls. The Spring show is raging on as I write this. Largely it is a fire sale of art scarcely curated. I have a few pieces on those walls. It unsettles me. But masses of people come away happy and the Mill grinds on.

I attribute my career as a designer to a particular respect for negative space, but it may also be exacerbated by an ADHD personality. These art shows mentioned above did not have a smidge of negative space which unnerved my sensibility. It is my position that negative space in an art show particularly is like a cracker between vintages. Like the tension between figures. I also believe negative space is a sign of respect for that which you intend to feature.

Once upon a time, I had the opportunity to own and operate a lovely little gallery that I developed in direct reaction to these very sorts of exhibits that seemed the only option for local artists here. In a two room cabin I could feature an artist, or sometimes 3 and could share each piece in it’s glory. I can’t say I made any more money by presenting art in this manner. But I can say that both I and the artists felt pride and peace as we stood in the space. I was also witness to how patrons reacted differently when availed of a pause between works.

In a world where negative space is a fine rare jewel I will advocate always, and act when I can, for the benefits of negative space.