Three Color Frame Painting 1985

Robert Mangold made this painting, Three Color Frame Painting, with paint and graphite. Look at those soft, but somehow assertive, matte colors. There’s an orange, a pink, and a green, all framed by white. What's so interesting to me is the surface, the visible brushstrokes in the green area. It's not trying to hide its process; it's embracing it. That color feels very grounded and earthy. The pink, and orange, seem to vibrate against it. Then there is the line that ties everything together. The simple addition of a curved line, drawn with graphite, suggests a missing circle and disrupts the otherwise clean geometry of the composition. This reminds me a little of Ellsworth Kelly, who was also interested in the relationships between color and form. Except Mangold is allowing a bit more process to come through. What is so fun about making and looking at art is that there is no right or wrong way, there is only conversation.