Pennello Piccolo 1972

Giorgio Griffa, who was born in 1936, made Pennello Piccolo with acrylic on canvas. Griffa came of age amidst Arte Povera and Conceptual Art movements in Italy, both of which sought to challenge the art establishment. Griffa’s work exists outside of traditional representations. Instead, it is defined by a focus on simple, repetitive marks. Here, we see seemingly random dashes of pink and purple, each one carefully placed. It's almost as if Griffa wants us to look at painting in its most basic form. One might consider how this simplification challenges the hierarchies and structures present in the art world. How does Griffa’s reduction to elementary marks reflect broader social and political questions about minimalism? His paintings offer a space for quiet contemplation and perhaps even resistance.