For many, the name Richard Segalman conjures up a vision of light-infused paintings of women gathered on a beach, gazing out the window of a New York City brownstone, or dressed in costumes from another era. But just as Edgar Degas, approaching his 60th year, surprised gallery goers with an exhibition not of ballerinas or race horses, but of highly atmospheric monotype landscapes, so too does Segalman surprise us with this exceptional collection of monotypes he began to produce in 1993, at nearly 60.

Segalman’s shift into this medium is powerfully conveyed through his arresting black-and-white prints that range from anonymous crowds on Coney Island beaches or New York City streets to a solitary figure in private contemplation. This monochromatic focus makes perfect sense: his first gallery appearance in New York—a sold-out show that gave him the courage to embrace the artist life—consisted entirely of black-and-white charcoal drawings, several stunning examples of which open this book.

In addition to writing for Sotheby’s, the Guggenheim Museum, and numerous individual artists, Susan F. Castle has written on art, architecture, and garden design for a variety of national publications. She also created, wrote, and coproduced Quilt, a multimedia online show. Philip Eliasoph, PhD is Professor of Art History at Fairfield University, Connecticut and is the founder and on-stage host/moderator for the university’s popular public affairs series, Open VISIONS Forum. Anthony Kirk, master printer, teacher, and artist, has organized surveys of prints by Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, and Robert Kipniss, and has curated exhibitions of Eric Aho, Wolf Kahn, Emily Mason, and Michael Mazur