Jerald Melberg Gallery is currently exhibiting a body of beautiful new drawings by Susan Grossman. “Bright Lights, Big City,” running through May 19, is a group of her charcoal and pastel — mostly monochromatic — drawings of luminous and shimmering cityscapes.

Though Grossman’s drawings reproduce very well, they should be seen in person to experience their powerful presence. Details like the minimal, strategic “flashes” of color enhance the cinematic feel of these strong compositional works. They are quite stunning in real life. The sizes of her new work in this show range from an intimate 22 by 27 inches all the way up to a breathtaking 60 by 80 inches centerpiece drawing, “Line in the Rain.”

Using a minimal palette of black, white and gray — punctuated by the occasional primary color — Grossman’s drawings recall classic film noir. She is inspired by her New York City home, finding compelling subjects and locations by crisscrossing the city and taking numerous photographs. Once in her studio, she begins the drawings on paper mounted to archival surfaces. She re-positions buildings and vehicles while adding and subtracting characters to achieve the final cut. Grossman rubs the pastel and charcoal into the paper, spray fixes that layer, then repeats the process many times. The physicality of her process creates a rich depth and is crucial to achieve the “just happened” feel of her work.

On Saturday, March 17, the artist gave an informal gallery talk about her work. (Jerald Melberg Gallery hosted these “coffee and conversation” mornings with a number of artists. Sign up for their mailing list to find out in advance.) Grossman is as personable and open as she is talented. She talked with a number of folks one-on-one and then offered some insights to the group about her motivations, passions and process with this body of drawings.

It’s no surprise she is inspired by film and photography. She enjoys taking a mundane moment in the city and blowing it up in black and white, capturing and elevating that fractured moment in time. Grossman’s drawings rarely show the faces of the people, though all figures are based on real individuals. Her work is not really about the people, but about that slice of time. She says, “I’m an observer of the moment, like a writer.”

In her studio, she works on many drawings simultaneously. Much of her art is architectural cityscapes, but she also enjoys drawing landscapes and described working on a sky/cloud piece to give her some “breathing room” in her studio filled with many city buildings.

When asked about the strategic use of minimal color, Grossman shares, “I use color as a story line.” Color adds to the narrative in her work, as well as compositionally moving the viewer around the drawing.

Jerald Melberg Gallery 625 South Sharon Amity Road, Charlotte Susan Grossman’s “Bright Lights, Big City” March 17 through May 19, 2012 Gallery hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and by appointment)