Robert Mangold (American, b. 1937). "PTTSAAES #31 A-05" ca. 2005. A unique work by American artist Robert Mangold - a two-part metal sculpture comprised of powder-coated aluminum, intended to give the illusion that it is piercing a wall and continuing to the other side with its zigzagging, lightning-like form. This piece was installed so that one section was visible on the interior of a home, and the other section continued to the exterior; however, it could also be set entirely indoors "piercing" an interior wall if so desired. What has set Mangold apart from other welded-metal sculptors has been his fascination with space, time, and motion - words that actually became the title of his solo exhibition at the Artyard Sculpture Gallery in Denver, Colorado. Approximate size of 1 part: 58.75" L x 33.75" W x 26.25" H (149.2 cm x 85.7 cm x 66.7 cm) Approximate size of second part: 57.5" L x 24" W x 26.25" H (146 cm x 61 cm x 66.7 cm)
This piece is part of a series (though a unique work within the series) that Mangold calls his PTTSAAES, an anagram for "a Point Traveling Through Space At An Erratic Speed." In this series, Mangold explores a concept he calls "implied kinesis" - meaning virtual movement that also involves the viewer who when contemplating a PTTSAAES sculpture, should welcome a "transformation to occur by adding unseen forces to the seen material of the sculpture in order to energize the piece into a kinetic state." Each PTTSAAES sculpture is constructed of metal - either industrial stainless steel, brass, or aluminum piping. Rather than creating preliminary drawings for these works, Mangold begins with a general idea, and as he forms it, he allows the piece to evolve during the process.
Mangold was inspired by pioneering kinetic sculptors of the 20th century, including Naum Gabo, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and of course, Alexander Calder. In addition, David Smith, another Indiana native, was an immense influence of Mangold. Smith began experimenting with welded metal in the 1930s and had a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 1957. Mangold earned his BA from Indiana University the year after Smith's exhibition, started working with the medium around 1958 and has created striking sculptures for more than 50 years, adding his own twist with his concept of "implied kinesis" or virtual movement. During the late 1960's and 1970's, Mangold exhibited in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Nebraska - and his work has been acquired as far as the Hakone Open Air Museum in Tokyo. Interestingly, Mangold has received international recognition only within the last 20 years. This is probably because he has chosen to live and work in Denver, Colorado rather than New York or Los Angeles. Mangold is actually best known in Europe and Japan where he won the prestigious Superior Prixe at the Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition in Tokyo in 1989.
This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
Provenance: ex-William and Jane Frazer, Aspen, Colorado, USA, acquired 1980s
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#167654
Condition
One of the two parts of this sculpture was displayed on the exterior of the owner's home and weathered (sun faded) as shown. We have discovered that it is possible to reverse the faded areas to their original coloring; however, we have elected not to do so. This said, if the next owner of this piece would like it in its original coloring, we will be happy to polish this region back to its original coloration. There are also some stains, paint splatters, etc. that we did not remove, but certainly could if desired. In addition, an elbow joint of the interior section of the sculpture has been reattached with slight touch up to pigment over the repaired break line. This work is certainly displayable as is; however, if the next owner would like to pursue restoration to the artist's specifications, we will be happy to provide contact information for a restorer who specializes in Mangold sculptures.