Combustione 1957

Alberto Burri made this Combustione using what looks like collage and fire to create the image. You can see the process right there on the surface! It’s not hidden or obscured, and it feels super immediate. There’s a tension between the pink under-layer, which might be paper or plastic, and then the burnt black fragments scattered on top. The red peaks out, glowing amidst the destruction. Look at how Burri composed the picture by tearing and charring. It’s as if he’s building up as much as he is tearing down. I'm reminded of Kurt Schwitters' Merz collages and how they embraced the discarded fragments of everyday life. Burri shares that sensibility, only he’s taking it to a whole other level by literally setting it on fire. It's a reminder that art is always evolving and that destruction can be as creative a force as creation.