Irrigatoren 2007

Alfio Giuffrida made *Irrigatoren*, painted in flat planes of colour – citrus yellows and oranges, sky blue, lipstick red, and a kind of hospital green. It’s hard to say exactly when Alfio made this, but I picture him in his studio, thinking about colour relationships, moving shapes around. The painting feels carefully planned but open to chance. He might have been listening to music, feeling the rhythm as he added each layer. Each shape is carefully bordered with thin lines of colour. Look how the artist placed that band of black next to a hot orange – it really vibrates! It's a bit like the work of Ellsworth Kelly, or maybe some hard-edge abstraction, but with a playful twist. And the way the artist flattens everything – it reminds me that painting isn't about making something look real, but about creating a new reality on the canvas. Painters have always looked to each other, borrowed ideas, and pushed boundaries. That’s how painting evolves, through conversation and exchange. Each brushstroke and each layer is a step in that dialogue.