Yellow Mandala 1970

Clarence Holbrook Carter created this painting, called Yellow Mandala, using layers of color to suggest soft, ethereal forms against a solid background. I think Carter was reaching towards something deeply spiritual here; he's searching for the divine with a brush in his hand! The various shades of yellow create this hypnotic effect, pulling you in deeper and deeper. It makes me think about Agnes Martin. I wonder, did Carter start with the tiny orange dot at the heart of the work, letting that singular point radiate outwards? It’s like he’s echoing that old saying: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! And in this case, one careful layer at a time. Painters, you know, we’re all magpies, borrowing and stealing from each other across time and space. It’s all one big conversation, and Carter's definitely got something interesting to say!