Ring A (Yellow) 2010

Robert Mangold made this Ring A (Yellow) sometime during his career with paint and graphite on paper. I like to imagine Mangold in his studio, circling this form, adjusting the yellow, making it brighter, and then pulling it back with a line. Did he step back? Squint? I think so. The yellow ovoid feels sunny but also restrained, as if holding back a little. I love that the ring isn’t perfect – it’s segmented, like a thought broken into parts, and the graphite almost but doesn’t quite close the shape, suggesting an opening for something new. There's a softness there in the imperfect geometry, reminding us that perfection isn't always the goal. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin. Painting is about thinking aloud, about the conversation between forms, and about how the artist leaves room for us to join in. What do you think?