Explosion of Red on Green 1910

Gerardo Dottori made this painting with explosive brushstrokes in shades of red, green, and a crackling electricity of yellows and whites. I imagine Dottori starting with a dark ground, maybe a murky green, and then letting loose these jagged, star-like shapes in red. The paint looks like it’s been applied in short, sharp bursts, each stroke a deliberate jab. There's a tension between the violence of the marks and the almost playful quality of the colors. I’m struck by the zigzags of color that cut across the composition – they feel like moments of pure energy, disrupting any sense of depth. It makes me wonder what Dottori was thinking about at the time. Was he trying to capture the chaos of the modern world or the dynamism of the Italian landscape? Was he influenced by the work of other futurists like Boccioni and Balla? Painting is just this ongoing conversation, and these artists are always egging each other on. And like with any good conversation, the best stuff emerges when you embrace the mess and just go with it.