TORE Exp7 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made TORE Exp7 with paint, and I love how the brushstrokes make a grid of layered color. The paint is opaque, but it almost feels thin, so the process becomes clear and present. The arrangement of objects reminds me of a kitchen, but the objects themselves are ambiguous. Some are easily identifiable: bowls, spoons, bottles, but others seem like geometric shapes. The objects hang on the grid, like a flat, frontal still life. The color palette is really interesting, the contrast between the light background and the primary colors, like the red circle in the upper right quadrant, creates a sense of playfulness. Giuffrida's work shares a formal resemblance to Giorgio Morandi's still life paintings, but there is also a really contemporary spirit. The overall feeling is one of openness and experimentation. The painting invites a lot of interpretations, and to me that is its strength.