BONSAI Exp8 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made "BONSAI Exp8" without noting the date, employing an eye-catching array of flat, graphic shapes and a simple, limited palette of pinks, reds, yellows, greens, and blues. The organization reminds me of an old-fashioned kit for a plastic model. There’s something so satisfying about the way Giuffrida flattens the forms, allowing us to recognize each shape, but refraining from rendering depth or shading. The objects sit together like a puzzle, all interlocking on the stark red grid. See how the soft, almost pastel pink background provides a perfect foil for the brighter, more assertive colors of the objects? The big pink square in the middle is a moment of peace amidst the chaos. It feels as if Giuffrida took a page from the book of artists like Ellsworth Kelly or even, dare I say it, a little bit of Magritte. These artists, like Giuffrida, invite us to look closely, to question what we see, and to find joy in the playful ambiguity of art.