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Lot Essay
Plane/Figure Series G (Double Panel) is an exceptional example of Robert Mangold’s double paneled works, which the artist believed to be a peak in his practice. “In looking at it now,” he said in his studio notes, “I have a feeling that the work is extraordinary” (R. Mangold, quoted in N. Princenthal, “A Survey of the Paintings,” in A. C. Danto et al., Robert Mangold, London 2000, p. 263). Comprising of two connected canvases, one painted a rich, but subtle purple and the other a neutral gray, it depicts two elliptical forms in graphite, which meet each other as though in a state of suspended motion. Tranquil and gnomic, these pebble-like shapes are drawn both under and above the background paint, embedding them within the color fields.
Although from a distance the painting appears harmonious, discordances emerge at close quarters. The purple canvas is noticeably narrower than the gray. The two ovaloids touch at an almost symmetrical angle, creating a slight skew within the picture plane. And Mangold’s use of a roller–a notoriously challenging implement–gives his surface a rich patina, with a varied deepness of color, speckled dots and the specter of his movement. During the 1990s, Mangold began using the phrase “Painting as Wall” to describe his works, conceptualizing them as presences that imposed themselves on a wall, almost akin to an architectural feature. “I realized,” he explained, “what painting’s unique reality was: neither object nor window. It existed in the space in between” (R. Mangold, quoted in S. O. Mangold, “An Interview with Robert Mangold,” ibid. p. 60).
Although from a distance the painting appears harmonious, discordances emerge at close quarters. The purple canvas is noticeably narrower than the gray. The two ovaloids touch at an almost symmetrical angle, creating a slight skew within the picture plane. And Mangold’s use of a roller–a notoriously challenging implement–gives his surface a rich patina, with a varied deepness of color, speckled dots and the specter of his movement. During the 1990s, Mangold began using the phrase “Painting as Wall” to describe his works, conceptualizing them as presences that imposed themselves on a wall, almost akin to an architectural feature. “I realized,” he explained, “what painting’s unique reality was: neither object nor window. It existed in the space in between” (R. Mangold, quoted in S. O. Mangold, “An Interview with Robert Mangold,” ibid. p. 60).