Untitled 1951 - 1952

Editor: This untitled work by Alfonso Ossorio features chaotic, swirling shapes and splatters of paint, mostly purple, green, and black. What can you tell me about the process behind a piece like this? Curator: We can see a real emphasis on the materiality here. The layering of inks and the way they bleed into the paper suggests a process-oriented approach. Does the lack of clear form challenge traditional notions of artistic skill in your eyes? Editor: It does a bit. I guess I expected something more...deliberate? Curator: But isn't there something deliberate about the choice to relinquish control? Ossorio's process reflects a post-war anxiety, where chance and the subconscious are valued over rigid structure. This "all-over" composition dissolves hierarchy. Editor: That makes sense. So it’s not just random splatters; the method is the message. Curator: Precisely. And the lack of a title reinforces that, shifting focus from narrative to the physical act of creation itself. Editor: I never considered how the title was also an important material aspect!