Nature Morte à la Fourchette 1957

Mario Avati made this photogravure, Nature Morte à la Fourchette, sometime in the 20th century. I’m fascinated by the granular texture, built up like a meticulous pointillist painting, or maybe a really old photograph. Look at how light seems to emanate from the objects themselves. It's all about the surface! The glasses seem lit from within, and that fork has a gleam as though it's been buffed for hours. Notice the soft shadows cast by the objects, especially how the die at the right anchors the composition. It's really beautiful. Avati reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi, but with a touch of surrealism thrown in. Like Morandi, he turned everyday objects into poetic meditations on light, shadow, and form, but the addition of that little dice gives it a playful tone. It’s a subtle reminder that art, like life, is a game of chance.