Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Art of Don Mangus: A Wide-Ranging Survey of My "Visual Puzzles"

I've always enjoyed perceptual puzzles where the viewer has to work to decode the image and flat pattern of the art marks and shapes to cognize the space and image. Don Mangus, Bird Cage, acrylic on paper, 1980.

I did a series of these zoo birdcage paintings for my qualifying 1981 MFA exhibit. Each of these oil on stretched canvas pieces is the size of a door. Don Mangus, Cage Dyptych, oil on canvas, 1980


Savage Geometry series: Lion and Unicorn, Don Mangus, monotype, c.1995



Continuous line drawings are fun, because you can follow the path of a single line as it creates the image. Don Mangus, ballpoint pen on paper, 2013

A pleasing visual tension is created by abstract pattern competing with closely observed figurative drawing. Such imagery was a stable of drawing at SMU. Figure study from Roger Winter's Advanced Drawing class. Don Mangus, graphite and crayon on paper, c. 1978.



I never tire of drawing jazz musicians. Here's another recent continuous line drawing. Don Mangus. Memory Portrait of Miles, ballpoint pen on paper, 2013



Don Mangus, Jazz Guitarist, ballpoint pen on paper, 2013



Don Mangus, To the Weekend, ballpoint pen on paper, 2013.



Humor and mild surrealism are elements of some of my picture puzzles. I enjoy the dream-like magic realism of photomontage. Don Mangus, Family of Urnina, serigraph, 1980.


Don Mangus, Dreams of a Better Future, serigraph, 1980


Don Mangus, Surrounded by Modern Art, serigraph, 1980



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