With an array of kaleidoscopic colors and complex pattern of dots, “Painting #1” exemplifies the style and dynamism of Peter Young’s well known Folded Mandala series. Displaying what Young calls his “eight-fold symmetry,” which he created by folding the canvas horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, these arresting paintings underscore the artist’s typical rhythmic compositions and self-evident creative process. Demonstrating his approach to lyrical abstraction and heightened visual experience, “Painting #1” maintains an intensity which speaks to influences of tribalism, abstract expressionism, and action painting. 

Peter Ford Young (American, b. January 2, 1940) was an abstract expressionist and post-minimalist painter, originally from Pittsburgh, PA, who grew up in Santa Monica, CA. At an early age, he formed an influential relationship with his classmate’s stepfather, artist and teacher Lee Mullican, before moving to New York City. Known for his complex paintings which combine his gift for color with an intricate dot motif, Young produced works that range from minimalism to lyrical abstraction. As part of a close-knit community of artists living in downtown Manhattan in the late 1960s, he gained notoriety with a fair amount of ease. A distinct set of patterns, textures, colors, and forms marks his canvases, which can be described as psychedelic and visually captivating experiences. Although he virtually disappeared from the art scene after his move to Bisbee, Arizona in 1972, his work has been exhibited at the National Design Museum, PS1 Contemporary Art Center, the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of Modern Art in New York. The artist has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Theodoran Award from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Young currently lives and works in Bisbee, Arizona.

Selected Public Collections:

Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, NY
Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY