Mandala No. 2 1968

Clarence Holbrook Carter made this painting called ‘Mandala No. 2’ with a palette of red, green, and orange, bisected by a black strip at the base. I can imagine the act of painting it, each translucent ring was carefully placed within the last, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I sympathize with Carter and what it might have been like to create it. What he might have been thinking? Was he considering the meditative qualities that circular shapes can suggest? The thin paint has built up in layers. The texture of the paint contributes to its emotional resonance. Look at the subtle shifts in tone in each of the colored sections, the way it moves from dark to light. It makes me think about the paintings of Hilma af Klint and Agnes Martin. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.