THE ENIGMA OF BLACK & WHITE

Just as design and photography rely on a confluence of structure and fluidity, the culinary journey often begins with a study of opposites. To celebrate the Black & White Editions of Polo, Ameo and Vento, these expert proponents of their craft help us highlight the purity of contrast.

Nachiket Barve

“When you strip away colour, you’re able to see details that you wouldn’t otherwise. You reduce objects to their core.” There’s a meditative quality to black and white that acclaimed designer Nachiket Barve attributes to it having stood the test of time. Yet, it does so while adding a graphic element to the silhouette. He reaches for this combination at times when he wants to highlight structural form: “When I want to express something that has strength, that has an element of classicism, with repeating motifs, I think that’s when black and white works its magic.” But black and white isn’t a static concept—it isn’t restricted to minimalist and classic styles, and colour isn’t the only way to dive into the fluidity of fashion. “You can be as out there and as rebellious without the presence of colour. It’s really what you make of it and how you carry it.” It also depends on how well you listen, because whether it’s the material or the design, the colour will make itself heard. “I can’t superimpose anything on this. Take what I wore for this shoot: it’s a black canvas with a flight of swallows. It’s all about the economy of white on black, as opposed to it being too busy. The design dictates the colour.”

Colston Julian

“It isolates emotion from the visual; it isolates the noise.” For Colston Julian, who has showcased and played with the full spectrum for more than two decades, cutting down to only two of them brings a new sense of clarity to his direction, along with a purity of thought. Of course, it also requires a different set of skills, one that many don’t seem to understand the depth of. “A black-and-white image is just a black-and-white image, but a real black-and-white image has emotion, has definition and, most importantly, it has a purpose, because there’s just one purity that has to stand out.” It grew to become a personal space for Colston, and his portraiture speaks volumes of this duality. He feels that urban landscapes can change with a million shades of grey once he senses the singular raw element that can shine through the chaos. But there’s a certain amount of responsibility that comes with shooting using only two shades, a responsibility of figuring out what you’re trying to capture. “There’s a very fine line in black and white... either you get it, or you get it wrong.”