Untitled 

This untitled work was painted by Alvaro Lapa, a Portuguese artist, though the specific date is unknown. Here, simplified forms and clashing bright colors might suggest a landscape. But the artist is less interested in realistically representing the world and more concerned with challenging the conventions of representation. Lapa was interested in the ideas of the Situationist International, a group of avant-garde artists and political theorists. Perhaps we can see the influence of Situationist ideas here, in Lapa's attempt to disrupt the traditional institutions of art and society. His use of bold color planes and simplified forms may be seen as a deliberate affront to academic artistic standards of the time. To fully understand Lapa's work, one must delve into the socio-political climate of Portugal during his lifetime. Archival research, including exhibition catalogs, critical reviews, and biographical accounts, would help us to better understand this artist's historical context.