Untitled 1960

Editor: Here we have Howard Mehring’s "Untitled" from 1960, made with acrylic paint. It feels...almost geological, like looking at a close-up of a rock formation. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: Primarily, I observe a meticulously constructed surface. The density of the application, the granular texture...It prompts one to consider the material properties of paint itself, how Mehring transforms it. Notice the way he modulates tone and color—it’s almost pointillist. Editor: Pointillist, interesting! I wouldn't have thought of that initially. So, it’s less about representing something “real” and more about the paint itself as the subject? Curator: Precisely. This aligns with Clement Greenberg's promotion of flatness in painting. There is an intricate and subtle pattern which draws attention, inviting the viewer to engage with the formal properties of abstract forms. It demands a perceptual experience, divorced from external narratives. Editor: So, in essence, Mehring is exploring the limits and possibilities of pure abstraction? Is there anything else that strikes you about its formal composition? Curator: Consider the density versus the diffusion of colour. It suggests not chaos but intricate, complex organisation. And also there are only really two colours at play: a brownish red, with accents in perhaps black, brown or orange - the canvas vibrates with the interplay of such dominant, basic colours. Editor: I hadn’t really noticed the subtle gradations of colour before. Curator: These nuanced relations offer so much to unpack: an exploration in surface tension and perception itself. Editor: Looking closer now, I see how the patterns generate different movements and visual tension on the canvas! Thank you, that was insightful! Curator: My pleasure! Always beneficial to reassess perceptual experience.