Gemini 1965 - 1966

Editor: This is "Gemini" by Howard Mehring, painted between 1965 and 1966. It’s an acrylic painting featuring these intensely colorful geometric shapes. It feels very deliberate, almost like a carefully constructed puzzle. What do you make of this piece? Curator: "Gemini" really pulsates with energy, doesn’t it? Note how Mehring orchestrates the colors. These bold, hard-edged forms recall heraldry, think of shields and family crests. Notice how he echoes the symbolism of duality. Can you see that tension at play in its construction? Editor: I see that, particularly how the dark central band divides the image, but is also the very thing that brings those colourful sides together. It is 'Gemini' after all, twins! Is that common for Op-art? Curator: It's interesting to consider Mehring's historical context here. It speaks to more than just perception, it is a re-evaluation of how societal roles were expressed formally through the visual lexicon available at the time. What does this type of hard edge tell you? Editor: Well, given the era, perhaps it represents the starkness and perceived rigidity of societal structures that were very much challenged in that era? Curator: Exactly! So "Gemini", while dazzling to the eye, serves as a coded reflection of the shifting social landscape. Editor: I never would have considered the potential social commentary within it. This dialogue has made me appreciate the painting's depth beyond its aesthetic qualities. Curator: And seeing how contemporary notions echoed symbols from the past. That makes the artwork transcend its immediate visual impact.