De-Formation #2 2016

Curator: "De-Formation #2," an acrylic painting from 2016 by Rodrigo Franzao. The starkness of the blue background coupled with those sharp lines… it's unsettling yet strangely appealing. How do you react to this painting? Editor: I’m intrigued by the combination of the rough, almost haphazard, quality of the copper wire-like form and the controlled smoothness of the paint. What elements do you think define it? Curator: It's a compelling juxtaposition, isn’t it? Let’s consider the materials first. Why acrylic paint, known for its versatility and affordability, and what appears to be, quite possibly, copper wire? What do those materials evoke in our contemporary culture, considering their sources and production processes? How might those inform this "de-formation" the title suggests? Editor: So, are you suggesting that the 'de-formation' speaks not just to the abstract image but also to the material and the process? Curator: Precisely! Think about it. We're using inexpensive and accessible materials deployed in ways that highlight their own materiality, as if defying the conventional hierarchies within art. It begs the question of how the very means of production are being questioned here. What do you make of the overall effect? Editor: It feels… raw. The composition feels unfinished and I am assuming that is done intentionally by the artist? Curator: And in that perceived rawness, doesn’t it question our expectations of a polished final product? What "labor" does the wire element of the piece demand? And why couple the organic yet geometric abstraction with those drip-like strokes that intersect a portion of the circle? Editor: That's given me a completely different perspective. I was just looking at the colors. Curator: Exactly! It goes beyond aesthetics. Looking at the process and materials opens up the work.