2019 Catalogue Archive

In a career that spans over 40 years, Paul Mogensen’s practice has remained faithful to a methodical, systematic approach to making abstract paintings. Over the years, Mogensen has utilized a number of different systems to create his work, exploring the myriad variations and expressive possibilities within each system once it has been established. His recent works are based on an N+1 progression, seen here in this untitled work from 2019. Starting in the lower right, a series of blue squares spiral around the canvas clockwise, with equal space between the starting edge of each square. As the squares get larger, the space gets more compressed, producing a push-pull pulsation of color and movement. Mogensen was the subject of a solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and his works are in the collections of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Harvard Art Museums/ Fogg Museum, Cambridge; Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Switzerland; The Menil, Houston; MFA, Houston; MoMA, New York; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, among others.