BONSAI Exp8 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made this bonsai tree of consumer objects using acrylic paint on canvas. Can you imagine the artist building up this composition bit by bit? What was he thinking as he chose the colours and placement for each form? The pink hues are so delicate, yet the red, yellow, and turquoise provide a grounding contrast. Each form is carefully painted and outlined in black; they remind me of a puzzle or a diagram. I think the artist created a system with this painting, but the pink ground undoes it all somehow. The longer I look, the more complex it becomes! I think that the artist makes a painting as a way of thinking about their place in the world, and what it means to be a consumer. They were no doubt inspired by many other artists before them, each with their own way of expressing themselves, contributing to an ongoing dialogue of ideas.