BONSAI Exp5 2017

Alfio Giuffrida made "BONSAI Exp5" with, what looks like, oil on canvas using a restrained color palette that feels muted and kind of retro. It’s like Giuffrida is thinking through the act of art making itself. There’s a structured assembly of objects that are rendered with a flatness, where each object feels like a component of a kit. The composition is both playful and rigorous, as if each shape is considered for its formal qualities. The whole thing hangs on the canvas, supported by what looks like the trunk of the ‘Bonsai’ with the screen acting as a kind of plinth. Take a look at how the colours are slightly off key, almost like faded memories. I’m reminded of the work of Giorgio Morandi, where the act of arranging and depicting simple objects becomes a form of meditation on painting itself. Ultimately, “BONSAI Exp5” celebrates art's ability to represent and reconfigure our understanding of objects in the world.