BONSAI Exp5 2017

Alfio Giuffrida’s BONSAI Exp5 is a puzzle for the eyes, laid down in thick, deliberate strokes of acrylic. Imagine Giuffrida’s process. Is it a methodical build-up, with each shape carefully considered? Or does he allow a bit of chance, letting the composition breathe and evolve? The muted greens, oranges, and reds play against the pastel pink, creating a strange harmony. It’s like looking at the world through a candy-colored lens, a simplified, playful version of reality. The red scaffolding that holds the shapes reminds me of those plastic model kits you’d snap together as a kid. There’s a tactile, almost architectural quality to how the forms are arranged. I see a conversation happening with other painters who play with geometry, like maybe Agnes Martin, but with a warmer, weirder edge. Painters are always riffing off each other, whether they know it or not. We’re all part of this ongoing exchange, borrowing, stealing, and transforming ideas. Painting is a space for uncertainty, a place where things don’t have to make perfect sense. That's what keeps it exciting.