The Covid Diaries 65 – Pace Gallery, Robert Mangold, A Survey 1981-2008

A review of the Robert Mangold exhibition currently on at the Pace Gallery, London. In which I have the luxurious experience of having the place to myself on a weekend morning.

Slow Art On A Saturday Morning

I continue to very much enjoy the experience of getting back into art in person via commercial galleries. As well as the art crawl I did, I have seen the Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers at Alison Jaques Gallery, and stopped in at the White Cube Bermondsey as well. Today we are at the Pace Gallery, which is in the back of the building that also houses the Royal Academy. Pace represent Mangold, so are able to bring together a nice selection of works from their chosen period, 1981-2008.

This is in fact the first UK solo show dedicated to Mangold’s work in 12 years. The idea is for the viewer to see themes as they develop, but I have to say that without labels it’s a bit of a nuisance flipping back and forth from phone to art and thus understanding which are the earlier and which the later works. Instead, I recommend just strolling around and absorbing the calming lines and colours. I went on a Saturday morning and was the only visitor, so it was just me and a security guard enjoying the works on display.

The Colour And The Shape

I enjoyed the cohesion between the works in this exhibition. They are all works on shaped canvases, with matt colours applied and smooth lines drawn on top. The effect is quite peaceful – there is nothing jarring or confronting here. The non-traditional shapes are about the most controversial thing about the works. Being able to get up close to them at eye-level, you are able to see the artist’s process; faint pencil lines show an evolution in the placement of the final darker curves. The progression over time seems to be in the complexity of the works – later works may join two canvases together, or confound the viewer by presenting a ring, as above. What do we look at if there is no centre to the painting?

This is an exhibition which can be viewed quickly – there are probably fewer than 20 works on the walls of one large room. It’s only the art itself which encourages you to slow down and really look. My advice is to pick a quiet time so you can make the most of it, and use the opportunity to get to know Mangold’s work one to one. The exit is through the back entrance foyer of the Royal Academy so it’s a little sad not being able to move on to an exhibition there, but hopefully that won’t be too much longer. And in the meantime this is a nice little exhibition, so do stop by if you’re in the West End.

On its own merits: 4/5
Implementing Covid rules: 5/5

Robert Mangold, Survey 1981-2008 until 22 May 2021

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