“Is a white sheet of paper more blank than a black sheet of paper?”

At first glance, the obvious answer that comes to mind is, “no, of course not!” But that’s boring! There must be a great deal more variables to consider than first glance. It must depend on a good deal other things than ‘blankness.’

One of these variables could be that it depends on what the paper is made of. Say the black paper is actually white paper with black printed, or that the white paper is actually black paper with white printed on it, then the answer could become, “yes, in some circumstances a white sheet of paper is not as it appears.”

There is a form of art called monochrome painting, where artists take one colour only, most commonly black or white, and use only that colour to create art worth millions of dollars.

Monochromatic painting has been an important component of avant-garde visual art throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. Painters have created the exploration of one color, the examination of values changing across a surface, the expressivity of texture and nuance, expressing a wide variety of emotions, intentions and meanings in a wide variety of ways and means. From geometric precision to expressionism, the monochrome has proved to be a durable idiom in Contemporary art.

-Wikipedia

Under this analogy, the question would also become a big booming “YES!” While many may consider the surface to be blank, it is really a captivating landscape of creativity. Therefore, a sheet of white paper (or canvas) can be more blank than a black one and vice versa.

Another definition of blank is also, “showing a lack of comprehension,” as in being given a blank look. Under this definition, a blank sheet of paper could not possibly be more blank than a black one.

So really, it depends on your definitions really, what do you think?

Your Local Crazy,

-Ollie 🙂