Seven Aquatints

Seven Aquatints was Mangold’s first set of intaglio prints. Printed at San Francisco’s Crown Point Press and published by Parasol Press in New York, the portfolio represents Mangold’s precise ability to configure line and color as formal and conceptual equivalents. Paralleling much of his work in painting, the series reflects his explorations of geometry, seriality, and the relationship between interior and exterior forms. The simple arrangement of a perfect outer circle and a flawed interior circle combined with the shifting muted color palette create a palpable tension, articulating the elements that make Mangold’s work so subtly seductive. As the artist stated, “I think all my works are about things fitting together or not really fitting together, with the exterior structure either dictating the terms of the interior structure or setting up a framework the interior structure plays off.” The series alludes to the lush, muted tones often found in Renaissance art and suggests references to Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic drawing The Proportions of Man (c. 1490), which depicts an outstretched figure within a circle and a square. This portfolio of seven aquatints is an exceptional example of Mangold’s mastery over form – constructing subtle configurations that probe the direct and oblique aspects of the aesthetic experience. 
 
The exceedingly rare complete set of 7 aquatints.