Natura Exp17 2018

Alfio Giuffrida made this painting, Natura Exp17, with what looks like acrylic paint, judging by the bright colours and clear application. There's a real sense of playful exploration here – it feels like Giuffrida is using the canvas as a space to think through shapes and colours. The paint is applied in flat, opaque layers, giving the piece a graphic quality. I'm drawn to the way the hard-edged geometric forms meet these organic shapes, like the blue cloud-like forms at the top, which have this wonderful, almost torn edge, contrasting with the smoothness of the other areas. The texture isn't concealed; you can see the direction of the brushstrokes, making the whole process of art-making visible. This piece reminds me a little of some of Joan Miró's playful compositions, but with a more contemporary, almost digital feel. Giuffrida invites us to embrace the ambiguity, reminding us that art is a visual language full of possibilities.