Charcoal paintings may often be called paintings rather than drawings because the word \’paintings\’ sound more advanced than \’drawings. Paint is a synthetic, manufactured liquid substance whilst charcoal is perhaps the most primitive of all manufactured products on earth. There is some irony in the fact that art work in the elemental substance involves fine art skills that are at the forefront of contemporary taste.

Artists of the stone age era probably used the ash from their fires for the earliest art work. Used in its pure form it would not last long and simply flake away from the surface upon which it had been applied. However it would have been mixed with other substances to make it permanent.

An Internet search reveals that a large number of contemporary artists now work in this medium. The popularity of the style can be explained by factors that are more significant than the technical ability to establish the permanence of creations. Contemporary fashions, trends and tastes converge to create a keen interest in the use of primal substances for art in the age of plastics.

In the twenty-first century there is a strong movement to return to fundamental things. This trend is linked to the philosophy of sustainable development. Natural resources are diminishing rapidly in the face of industrial development and there is a realization that things should be recycled in the interests of economic sustainability. The use of carbon for art fits perfectly with these contemporary trends and social concerns.

In the 1950s it was fashionable to use synthetic substances. Great faith in science and technology led people to believe that mankind could control the planet for its own benefit. Space travel, among many other technological advances have changed perceptions considerably since then. The vulnerability of life on our planet has become apparent. There is a widespread return to elemental things such as the pure energy of the sun and the wind.

This is the context in which charcoal paintings have become highly fashionable. Natural textures are shown to be in effective use creating original works that are situated in the present yet rooted in the elemental past. As computer scientists use ancient words to convey the latest thoughts in technology so artists use pure elements of the past to depict the present.