Untitled 1971

Victor Bonato made this untitled work, and it's a fascinating study in texture and form. Look at how the artist uses a grid of raised, metallic dots against a bright white background; it's almost like a topographical map of a tiny, alien landscape. The physicality of the medium is really interesting. The raised dots create actual shadows, giving the piece a three-dimensional quality that shifts with the light. Each dot is like a tiny, deliberate gesture. I can't help but wonder about the process. Were these dots individually placed? Screen printed? Some other technique? This piece makes me think of Yayoi Kusama's obsessive use of polka dots, though with a more restrained, geometric sensibility. Both artists explore repetition and pattern, but Bonato’s work has this cool, almost clinical feel, as opposed to Kusama's more immersive, psychedelic approach. Art's such a fantastic conversation across time, isn't it?