Robert Mangold

Since the beginning of his career in the mid-60s, Mangold has combined the classic elements of composition — shape, line and color — to create abstract works of varied scales. As Marla Prather writes about the artist’s early career, “Mangold had determined that abstract art was the most direct means of communication, a diverse medium capable of conveying emotion as effectively as art filled with identifiable subject matter, yet maintaining a powerful, tangible presence as an object.”

Inspired by the works of quattrocento artists, specifically Piero della Francesca, Mangold has explored the possibilities of shapes and the relationships between drawing and painted surface, painting as object and the wall. His works, which feature complex hand-drawn compositions, at times consisting of multi-paneled shaped canvases, attain a sense of balance and embody the artists willingness to experiment as well as his dedication to abstract subject matter. As Prather goes on to write, “The manipulated shapes and drawn figures that have populated his paintings, drawings, and prints are as dependent upon intuition and experiment as they are upon rigorous, rational thought.”