17. early 1990s

Oil stick on paper (1 to 18)
Acrylic on canvas (19)

A calligraphic quality is the characteristic of the works in this category with their white, often looping lines that change size, shape, and direction. The backgrounds are also active with multiple layers of broad, mainly downward strokes that blend as surfaces or create interactions of grays and whites. Remnants of white loops that dominated an earlier layer are visible at the edges of some layers.

Wardy liked oil stick for its ability to produce a richly saturated line or to skim across a surface with a lighter touch. He also appreciated the way the oil stick could sink into itself leaving raised edges with the pressure of the gesture. About ten years after producing the works in this category, Wardy did a painting series of large canvases with active white lines on black, examples of which are in Category 24.

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