Negative and Positive

The view from Surfside on Vinalhaven Island, Maine

The portrayal of negative and positive space in two-dimensional work in every culture describes the distinction between where and how an artist makes a mark and the context for that mark, whether on a flat surface or in how anyone perceives life. On a surface, that may be the calligraphic mark of a Chinese brushstroke. In urban design, architecture and sculpture it may be in how a human body moves around or through an object in space. In social sculpture. it can be the history of the helping professions and collaborative teams in public art that change people's expectations for their communities.