X Within X Orange 1981

Robert Mangold made "X Within X Orange" with paint, though the exact date of its making remains elusive. The orange hue is so even, so consistently applied, that you might almost miss the subtle variations in texture. I like the hand-painted line that splits the X, a gesture that manages to be both precise and imperfect. Look closely, and you'll see the quiet evidence of the artist's hand, the barely-there brushstrokes that reveal the physicality of the paint, and the controlled application of the orange. It’s the kind of painting that whispers rather than shouts, inviting you to slow down and really look. The whole thing makes me think of Agnes Martin, another artist obsessed with the quiet power of simple forms. In the end, it's the tension between precision and imperfection that makes this painting so compelling, and so human.