Blu 1971

Agostino Bonalumi created "Blu" using shaped canvas to explore space, form, and color. The canvas is dominated by a monochromatic blue that invites contemplation, yet, the uniformity of the color is disrupted. On the left, the canvas is pulled outward, creating a three-dimensional bulge that challenges our perception. The curve introduces shadow and light, activating the surface and transforming a flat plane into a dynamic field. Bonalumi's shaped canvases relate to the concerns of the Zero Group. The use of the monochrome and the disruption of the picture plane, questioned the conventions of painting. Rather than representing an illusionistic space, the canvas itself becomes an object. The formal qualities of "Blu" encourage us to consider how shape and color function in a space, and to understand that art does not have a singular meaning.