Red Plastic 1961

Alberto Burri made this artwork, Red Plastic, with… well, red plastic! Looking at this piece, I am struck by the contrast of textures: the smooth, stretched plastic against the rough, almost volcanic center. It’s like he’s wrestling with the material, pushing it to its limit. The plastic is draped, stretched, and burned. The dark markings aren’t just lines; they’re scars, evidence of a process, a struggle, a transformation. Check out the way the light catches the plastic, creating these almost liquid effects. Burri isn’t just applying paint; he's building a surface, creating a kind of sculptural painting. It feels like you could reach out and touch it, explore its ridges and valleys. Burri's work reminds me of Lucio Fontana, who slashed his canvases. Both artists are challenging our ideas about what a painting can be, pushing beyond the flat surface into something more visceral. It is an ongoing conversation, a constant questioning, where the answers are always open to interpretation.