Round Plants Exp14 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made "Round Plants Exp14" using flat blocks of colour, delineated by simple lines that suggest the form of familiar objects. His painting reminds me of a construction site, a playground, or even just the messy jumble of my own studio! The forms are clearly described, but they don’t quite make sense together, do they? I love how Giuffrida uses colour: the ochre background flattens the space, whilst pops of red, green, and blue add depth and a sense of play. The linear elements are intriguing – they seem to function like a complex scaffold, holding all the elements together in a delicate balancing act. The surface is pretty smooth and flat; you can see a few brushstrokes here and there, but they don't distract from the overall composition. This piece makes me think of early work by Elizabeth Murray, another artist who played with domestic objects and skewed perspectives. Like Murray, Giuffrida is not trying to fool us with illusionism, but rather to create new forms and relationships in painting that can surprise and delight us.