Sarah Bray

Over the last 20 years I have been making a series of black and white drawings using conte crayon on linen. All the drawings have a long horizontal format. The drawings are initially prepared on a white gesso ground. A fine diagonal grid is then drawn in 3 different angles in silver point. All the works begin with a single black line which is placed slightly off centre. This line acts as a starting point from which the whole image develops and grows outwards. Lines are precisely positioned from the starting point creating a stable equilibrium at all times. This state of balance allows every line to move and hover. Accumulations of groups of lines that develop as the drawing progresses are held together within the white space. It is essential to achieve the right proportion of line to space otherwise the whole image will fall apart and disintegrate. I am creating an image with both dense clusters of lines and sparse areas that define through their interconnections and balance, an implication of movement. In the drawings I have been making since 2007 I have been working with a specific contrast of dark and light. I use very fine lines to create a wide range of tone. An extreme dark is built up soon after the drawing begins. Once this particular resonance is reached every tone that develops thereafter is pitched and balanced in relation to this black. The resonance of the black and the variations of greys activates the white ground creating a luminosity.