Interférences en rouge et gris (No. 640) 1963

Antonio Asis made this painting, Interférences en rouge et gris, with concentric circles in red, grey, black and white. Imagine the hours spent meticulously filling in the lines. It’s a process of repetition and accumulation, a kind of meditative act. I wonder, what was Asis thinking about as he painted? The circles intersect, creating a sense of movement and vibration. Does it reference scientific diagrams, or perhaps the Op Art movement? I see some Vasarely in there, but with a softer, more playful touch. The evenness of the paint and the crispness of the lines suggest a mechanical process, yet there’s something human in the imperfections and the subtle variations in color. To me, it’s in this tension between control and chance that the painting finds its energy, sparking off a conversation about the meeting of art, science and perception.