Viola Rosso 1969

Carla Accardi made Viola Rosso using paint on canvas. Looking at the surface, you can see the hand of the artist, or rather, the movement of her hand. She has made a field of glyph-like marks in red over a lavender ground. These are not traditional brushstrokes, but rather, more akin to handwriting. Accardi here engages with the skilled tradition of calligraphy, commonly associated with the east. The paint application is quite thin, almost like watercolor. It is soaked into the canvas rather than sitting on its surface. She built up this surface through the repetition of marks. And each one of them stands as a testament to labor and time. So, next time you look at a painting, consider not just what it represents, but how it was made and the amount of work involved in the production process, and how this bridges any gap between art and craft.