Plate from 17 variazioni su temi proposti per una pura ideologia fonetica 1955

This is a plate from "17 variazioni su temi proposti per una pura ideologia fonetica", by Alberto Burri. Look at the contrast between the stark white page on the left and the textured, almost violent collage on the right. Burri wasn’t just pushing paint around; he was wrestling with materials. The dark, earthy tones and those deliberate tears and punctures give it a brutal, almost scarred feel. You can almost feel the texture of the burlap, the roughness of the edges. It’s not just about what’s there, but what’s been taken away, violated, or revealed. There’s something about that little flash of red in the corner that gets me. It’s so small, but it punctuates the whole piece, like a drop of blood. I'm reminded of Antoni Tapies, who also explored similar territory. These are artists who understood that art isn't just about beauty, but about confronting the raw, imperfect aspects of existence.