Agree to Disagree

Last night Michael was going through some of the other photos I took for my "Macro Morning" entry. He loved this one and said I had to post it. However, after I edited both, we were unable to agree on which was better. (Not could I find a sufficient place to add my nifty logo).
Michael likes the color version better because you can see more detail, specifically the wood grain, but I prefer the black & white because it looks like something you would see at an art gallery. I want my photography to be risky and not constantly follow the "rules" I politely acquired the professional opinion of others, asking which edit was more appealing to their visual taste and why.

COLOR:
"The color keeps the rings of the wood, as well as the rust from the tac." (Jay)

"The color makes the picture look more alive." (Miriam)

"It separates the foreground and the background very lovely!" (Lisa)

B&W:
"If you wanted it to be an art piece, I'd go with the black and white." (Cory)

"I feel that the black and white actually speaks louder and holds your interest for a longer period of time because you feel the need to study it." (Nina)

Thank you.