Doris Staffel, Untitled

(Doris) emphasized the need for ceremonial structure to order the mind. . . After she told us that (Philip) Guston always swept his studio floor before he began to work, I followed his example and did the same for many years.
-Joe Fyfe, former student

Throughout her life as a painter Staffel has been immersed in Buddhist studies, and this has influenced her deeply. "I have a huge library of Buddhist material, and I've had Buddhist teachers for years,” she says. "This has been a mainstay in my thinking and my life.” This meditative and complex painting has a basic geometry expressed primarily through rectilinear shapes and visual balance.

Beginning with her 1973 exhibition, the titles Staffel gave to her paintings and drawings reflected her Buddhist interests. White Tara, for which Staffel titled a series of works to which this belongs, is known as the "mother of liberation” and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. The White Tara is also known for compassion, long life, healing, and serenity.