Mary Corse

Sources: Museum of Modern Art, MoMA: Untitled (First White Light Series), Whitney Museum: Untitled (Two Triangular Columns), Whitney Museum: Mary Corse: A Survey in Light, and Pace Gallery: Mary Corse.

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  Acrylic paint

  MoMA documents Untitled (First White Light Series), and the Whitney records Untitled (Two Triangular Columns) among Corse’s reflective works. Corse mixes glass microspheres into acrylic and varies brush direction so the reflected light shifts with the viewing angle; this does not make reflective paint a separate medium.

Sources: MoMA: Untitled (First White Light Series); Whitney Museum: Untitled (Two Triangular Columns); Whitney Museum: Mary Corse: A Survey in Light.

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  Canvas

  Corse’s light paintings include canvas supports, including works in MoMA’s collection. She mixes glass microspheres into acrylic and varies brush direction so reflected light shifts with the viewer’s angle; the canvas carries this engineered surface while remaining a flexible support.

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  Painting Board

  Corse paints on rigid board for selected light works, preparing the surface with acrylic and glass microspheres. The hard panel preserves carefully aligned strokes and reflective effects; it differs from canvas supports while allowing light to change as viewers move.

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  Wood

  Wood panels support some of Corse’s painted and constructed works. The rigid surface can hold layered paint and reflective materials, while the panel itself remains part of the object’s physical construction. This format is separate from her canvas paintings. This construction differs from her stretched canvases.

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  Plywood

  Plywood appears in Corse’s shaped and constructed panels, where the wood support and cut edge contribute to the work’s structure. She applies acrylic and glass microspheres to create shifting reflective effects, making the material and geometry work together. The panel’s geometry also shapes the reflected light.

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  Plexiglass

  Corse has used Plexiglass in light-related works, where the transparent rigid surface allows light to pass through or reflect around the painted area. This material differs from opaque canvas and wood panels and extends her exploration of how the viewer’s position affects perception.

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  Aluminum

  Corse also paints on aluminum panels, using the reflective metal surface as part of the optical effect. The support’s smooth, hard finish interacts with her applied paint and light-reflecting materials, distinguishing these works from those on canvas or wood. The smooth metal support is named in museum records.

Sources: Museum of Modern Art, MoMA: Untitled (First White Light Series), Whitney Museum: Untitled (Two Triangular Columns), Whitney Museum: Mary Corse: A Survey in Light, Pace Gallery: Mary Corse.