Volume 1958

Dadamaino made this monochrome painting, 'Volume' with what appears to be acrylic on canvas. The iterative process of layering paint is on full display here, and the approach to painting is a careful, considered, and almost mathematical one. Each of the four white lozenges hovers in its own space, an effect achieved through subtle gradations of tone. I keep thinking about the relationship between figure and ground, how each shape interacts, and how each individual form relates to the bigger picture. There is such dynamism in this piece. It’s a still life that really moves! Looking at the piece, I'm reminded of Giorgio Morandi. Both artists share this ability to extract the extraordinary out of the ordinary, and to find space for individual gestures within a predetermined formula. The magic is in the variation.