Lot 36

Kal Mansur distills the interplay of light and surface to a succinct, minimal expression. His new series of paintings are made with metallic gold paint and a house painting brush. On first impression, the surfaces appear to be divided into geometric fields of varying shades of gold, some more yellow; some more brown. But move around and you will see the lighter and darker areas swap places. The colours shift depending on your point of view and the angle of light. Move in close and you’ll notice that the sharply defined geometry is textured with prominent brush marks. You’ll also notice that the paintings are completely monochrome. The appearance of different shades is solely due to the textured surface. In this work, no single view is resolved. Whereas some elements suggest receding depth, other elements contradict this reading. We are left with a kind of fragmented space that folds back and forth and eventually leads back to the flat surface of the artwork. The work questions the solidity of borders and their role in mediating everyday life. “If you just change the way you view something you might completely alter your perception of it,” says Mansur.