Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAWN O'CONNOR (CARTER); TONY PRIKRYL (MODERN MANDALA, YELLOW X MANDALA) The mandalas of Dick Carter, seen in his studio, have grown simpler over the years but retain their grounding in natural structures, from cherry blossoms to subatomic particles. ABOVE: Modern Mandala (2015). COVER, AT LEFT: Yellow X Mandala (2014). D I C K C A R T E R THE COLORADO ARTIST EXPLORES THE UNIVERSE—ONE BRUSHSTROKE AT A TIME. BY CHRISTINE BENEDETTI It's been 40 years since artist Richard Carter was Herbert Bayer's assistant in Aspen, but the Bauhaus architect and artist's influence is clearly present in Carter's newest series of works. "It's in my blood," he says of the mod- ernist movement known for bold lines, stark shapes, and bright colors. Titled "Mandalas Considered," Carter's new exhibition is the fruit of two years of painting and drawing. "I got interested in the mandala, not in the spiritual way but in a formal way, the structure of it," he says about the geometric pattern used to represent the universe in many Eastern cultures. A cofounder of the Aspen Art Museum, Carter, 70, is deeply rooted in the Aspen Valley's arts scene, serv- ing on the board of the Art Base, the nonprofit that will be the beneficiary of an Aspen Peak summer fund- raiser where one of his pieces will be auctioned off. During a residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center last summer, he was inspired by Takashi Nakazato's studio and created three mandala series with the Japanese symbol for a cherry blossom at their center. "They've evolved over different ways in the past two years," he says, "but they all have some reference to scientific notation." The new series visibly transitions from com- plex, physics-centered pieces to modern, simplified, more abstract works. The same could be said of Carter himself. "Mandalas Considered" runs June 3 – 25 at The Launchpad in Carbondale, 76 S. Fourth St., 970-963- 1680; launchpadcarbondale.com. "Drawings" runs June 10 – July 1 at the Art Base in Basalt, 99 Midland Spur, 970-927-4123; theartbase.org. richardcarterart.com aspenpeak-magazine.com GREENGALE PUBLISHING, LLC ASPEN 98 AUSTINWAY.COM