Untitled c. 1965

This small untitled work was made on paper by Howard Mehring, although exactly when is unknown. I’m drawn to the immediate, graphic quality, how the coloured pencil has been used to create these bold, clear forms. The texture is particularly interesting: the paper is smooth, but you can see the layered marks of the pencil, giving a kind of depth, a shimmer. Look at the bottom, where the black and red meet. Notice how the slight imperfections and variations in pressure make the colours almost vibrate! The work feels like a precursor to some of Frank Stella’s geometric paintings, but with an intimacy and immediacy that only working on paper can give. It’s a reminder that even in the most structured forms, there's always room for the personal, the hand-made, the delightfully imperfect.