Untitled 1962

Editor: Here we have Howard Mehring's "Untitled" from 1962, using acrylic on what seems to be canvas. I'm immediately struck by the vibrant color choices, how they play against each other. It feels… kaleidoscopic. How would you approach understanding something this abstract? Curator: Kaleidoscopic is a great word! It definitely captures the feeling. For me, Mehring’s work is like a visual meditation. Look at how those hard-edged geometric forms vibrate – orange, lilac, navy. It reminds me of those dazzling sunsets you see in the desert. What do you feel when you really let your eyes dance across the surface? Editor: I guess I was so focused on the geometric aspect, I didn't really let myself sink into it. Now that you mention it, it is mesmerizing! But what does it *mean*? Is it just a pretty pattern? Curator: Well, "just a pretty pattern" isn't always so simple, is it? Mehring was associated with Color Field painting and hard-edge abstraction, which sought to explore the pure experience of color and form. The 'meaning,' if we need one, might lie in that very sensation, that moment of visual immersion, like gazing into an abstract garden. Can we not find something profound in a simple joy? Editor: So, less about symbolism and more about... feeling? I’m still used to looking for hidden meanings. Curator: Exactly! Think of it like music, maybe. Does music always need to tell a story? Sometimes it just *is*. And isn't that enough? Editor: I suppose it is. I was overthinking it. It’s freeing to think of art this way. Curator: That freedom, that invitation to simply *experience* - that's a gift. It’s amazing how long looking can actually start to feel like something deeper than thought, don't you think?