Violet-Red Small Pole, I 1966

Gianni Piacentino made this "Violet-Red Small Pole, I" out of wood, lacquer and varnish. Look at how it sits there, right in the corner of the wall. I wonder, what was it like for Piacentino to make this? Did he start with a clear idea or did it emerge slowly? I can imagine him carefully building up layers of colour, each one a little different, until he got that amazing violet-red. Is it an object? Is it sculpture? Is it architecture? I love how the lacquer and varnish give it this sleek, almost futuristic vibe. You can tell he's thinking about light and space, about how this piece interacts with the room around it. It reminds me of some of Donald Judd’s sculptures, but with a warmer, more playful feel. Artists are always talking to each other across time. Piacentino makes me think about all the possibilities that come from color and form. Painting is about a feeling - there are no fixed meanings, just endless possibilities.