Hammer 2016

Rodrigo Franzao made "Hammer" with a matchstick, pigment, and who knows what else, making it look like something between sculpture and painting. The blue circle has been breached, kind of violently, and in that tear is a match, like an accident or an intrusion. The match sits there among other accidents: some drips, some rogue pieces of wire. The surface has texture, but it's not just applied, it's built into the support. It's all a little wonky and unsettling. Look at the place where the match pierces the surface. Isn’t there something satisfying about the raw edges and the layers revealed? It reminds me that art-making isn’t about answers; it’s a process of poking around and seeing what happens. It's kind of punk, like a John Baldessari piece, taking a jab at the preciousness of art, with a healthy dose of humor. It’s like Franzao's saying, “Here’s a painting, but don’t take it too seriously.”