Rago Auctions

In the early 1970s Brice Marden traveled to Greece for the first time, sparking what would become a life-long love of the country and its architecture and myths. Inspired by Greek post and lintel construction and the tripartite phases of the Great Goddess (maiden, woman, and crone), he embarked on visual explorations such as the present lot. Each of the five prints is made from one plate divided into three panels, hence the title, and executed in the artist’s trademark Rembrandt-like, masterful etching style with subtle tonal variations. Marden’s oeuvre, though characterized by restrained color palettes and simple geometric structures, nevertheless exudes a level of expressiveness often missing  in other minimalist work. He seeks to evoke an emotional response but does not desire to lead viewers to a specific feeling or answer. As the artist himself has stated in reference to viewers’ responses to his creations: “You should just look at it and react to it on your own...Just relax and let go.”