Curved Plane/Figure VII (Study)

1995

Curved Plane/Figure VII (Study), 1995. Robert Mangold (American, 1937-). Acrylic and graphite on three canvases on stretchers joined to form a lunette; framed: 117.5 x 83.2 x 5.8 cm (46 1/4 x 32 3/4 x 2 5/16 in.); unframed: 124.5 x 248.9 cm (49 x 98 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Cleveland Society for Contemporary Art on the occasion of its 35th anniversary 1995.171 © Robert Mangold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 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. Robert Mangold prefers to create artwork in series, each representing a process of experimentation with a specific idea, such as form, shape, or color.