Paddy Johnson reviews the exhibition Jessica Dickinson, Before/Beside on view at James Fuentes, LLC, New York, through December 11, 2011.

Johnson writes: "As far as I can tell, [Dickinson's] monochrome paintings are wholly about what one sees, which means that long careful looking is the only way to understand the work. Dickinson's meticulous gauging, scraping and staining of the limestone surface creates subtle color and texture vibration, a quality that defines many great monochromes."