Transpercer la transparence (5) 1951

Gherasim Luca made this collage, Transpercer la transparence (5), by layering and pasting translucent paper onto a pale card. I can almost see Luca there in his studio, carefully arranging these geometric shapes, each one slightly overlapping the other. It's like he's building a delicate structure, a tower of light and shadow. And the title, "Piercing the Transparency," makes me think about how he's trying to break through the surface of things, to reveal something hidden beneath. The card is a found object, a pre-existing template with a floral border which Luca re-purposes as a support. Look at the color palette: muted yellows and blues create a sense of depth, as if you're peering into another dimension. The overlapping of shapes creates new forms and patterns. It’s a bit like how painters build up layers of paint, each stroke informing the next. It makes me think of Kurt Schwitters, but it also feels very contemporary. Artists have always been in conversation with each other, riffing on ideas, pushing boundaries, and discovering new ways of seeing.