Achrome 1960

This *Achrome* by Piero Manzoni, a work made with… well, what exactly? The palette is muted: lilacs and pinks and just a kiss of blue. But it’s the surface that gets me thinking about artmaking as a process. Up close, the texture is intensely physical. The paint is built up from these little fragments that creates a rough, almost granular surface, like sugar maybe. It looks as though he’s trying to get away from traditional brushwork, and that makes me wonder about the tools he used. It feels really anti-painterly, like he's making an all-over field. Look at how the light catches the texture. Does this remind you of Twombly? Both artists were interested in how a repeated mark could become something grand and sublime. Ultimately, Manzoni's commitment to experimentation challenges us to rethink what a painting can be.