Description

Form, color, and drawing are central to the abstract paintings of Robert Mangold. In this half-scale study for one of eleven paintings in his Curved Plane/ Figure Series from 1994–95, Mangold joined three canvas panels to form a large, harmonious semicircular composition. He unified the painted surface by blending the smooth red-orange pigment of the left panel with the gray of the right to create the color of the central section. On this background, Mangold used black pencil to draw two ovals, one standing upright, while the other leans to the right. As the title suggests, the subject of the painting is the contrast between the flat, painted surfaces and the illusion of depth suggested by the drawn shapes.