Art is one of the ways that man can express himself. Through art, one can express his greatest fantasies and display his own feelings about a phenomenon. Art lovers can interpret various messages passed through art. To be an artist one has to be both creative and highly imaginative and talented. He has to visualize images that not only impress but also arouse emotions. One of such people is Robert Mangold. He has created inspiring pieces of art over the years and made a legacy that is admired by many. One of his greatest creations is the Ring paintings. His work comprises of simple elements that put together form complex things. The ring paintings are a spectacular work of art that reflects the not only reflect a superb creativity but also provokes an emotion of admiration. “The works in Robert Mangold: Ring Paintings are all canvases made from two panels which are joined to form a ring with an open center. Faint pencil lines,that are visible through monochromatic washes of acrylic paint, segment each panel into even proportions while heavier curving lines react to the ring’s shape and its divisions, pressing against the boundaries of their structures.”(Jenifer Joy 2011)
Robert Mangold was born in 1937 in North Tonawanda New York. He joined Cleveland institute of art in 1956 where he studied until 1959. He later joined Yale University in 1961. He was married in the same year to Sylvia Plimack and moved to New York the same year where he began his work of art. some of his great achievements include hosting his own art show in 1964. This was his grand entrance to the world of art. He then did several other pieces at other exhibition. Some of his other great works include; Robert Mangold at (1972) at the Guggenheim Museum, paintings from 1964 – 1982 at Stedelijk museum in Amsterdam, his paintings between 1971-1984 which were organized by Akron museum and put in various places in New York, California and Texas. His other paintings from 1965 -1987 were stored in Hallen für neue Kunst, Schaffhausen, Switzerland in 1987. Most of his paintings were compiled by many other museums around the world and put in various cities especially in Europe and America. his paintings have won him several awards recently. Some of these awards he has won include; Jawlensky-Preis der Stadt Wiesbaden Award which was awarded to him in 1998 by the museum of Wiesbaden. he received the national endowment for visual arts award in 1967 which was among his first awards. He was awarded the Skowhegan Medal for Painting in 1993. In 1999, he was nominated to be a trustee at the Yale university art gallery. He was later elected as a member of the national assembly in 2005.
Robert created many artistic and famous paintings. Some of the people claim that his drawings appear more like objects than images. His drawings are designed in a way they bring feeling that they have passed in the hands of an architect. His paintings have been evolving over the years. In the 1960s he was spraying paint on plywood surfaces, he then evolved to rolling paint on the same surfaces in the 1970s he then switched to using canvas instead of plywood. He later began to cut the canvas into various shapes. With his new techniques he created many admirable pieces that were famous worldwide. One of his most famous creations was the Ring paintings which he created beginning 2002. The ring paintings are among his most recent paintings. (Johnson, G. A.34-35)
The ring paintings are a continuation of Roberts’s creative art. He combines various elements . These elements are color; shape and line to form create an abstract work. The painting entails canvas joined together to leave a void part in the middle. The ring paintings are among the evolution of the works of Robert. The ring paintings were a shift from the column paintings which he was previously painting. The idea of the rings came up after he wanted to bend the columns to form a ring. Many people may not differentiate the rings paintings from the single panel paintings of 1974. However, the difference of the two paintings is not only the hollow in the hollow in the middle of the rings paintings but also the inspiration in the drawings. According to Marla Prather, Robert’s paintings are not driven from images with religious and emotional significance. He creates the images with and from the immediate environment making his paintings tell a lot about specific times in history. (Mangold, R., & Danoff, I. M 2004 p136.)
Every painting in the collection is constructed with two pieces. They have a vertical seam, which splits the ring into two halves. Robert creates the pattern in each of the halves separately. He is cautious to ensure that both the halves bring out the contrast he intends to show. His choice of colors mainly includes yellow, orange blue and soft grey. When the halves are merged, the vertical line becomes more visible because of the lining of the halves, which is drawn using graphite. The proportions of the graphite line may vary from one half to the other. Three of the paintings in this collection are made with rings of different sizes and colors. The seam in these paintings emphasizes on the left-right split. (Mangold, R. 2011, p23)
This collection consists of various paintings that are related. Like his formality, Robert first drew sketches of the ring shapes then he drew formal pastel drawings. He then drew a good ring image of his drawing on a forty-eight inches acrylic paper. The painting was less a quarter drawing. This drawing was more of a good drawing than a rough draft. Then with the help of this drawing, he then was able to judge the proportions of various colors and finalize the elements of the drawings. With thorough inspection and careful screening, Robert ensures that his drawings are clear and pass the intended message.
Over the years Robert Mangold has shown consistency in his art. There are various qualities that he processes that make him a good artist. These qualities include his visualization. One of the outstanding facts about Robert’s drawing is that they bring out his creativity and visualization of various concepts about the world. He also is very persistent and patient. Such work of art takes a lot of hours in making and drawing. One thing with the paintings of Robert is that he is keen and emphasizes on every detail. This takes a lot of commitment and persistence in work. Robert’s works and life should inspire young artists on their way to achieving greatness in art. Robert Mangold will always be an inspiration to the field of art in the world.
References:
Johnson, G. A. (2005). Renaissance art: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jennifer J. Goulet S. Staub L.(2011) robert mangold: ring paintingsr New York: retrieved from
Mangold, R., & Danoff, I. M. (1984). Robert Mangold: paintings 1971-84. Akron, Ohio: Akron Art Museum.
Mangold, R. (2011). Robert Mangold ring paintings. New York: Pace Gallery.
Robert Mangold. (n.d.). Barbara Krakow Gallery. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com/robert-mangold
