ALCHEMY 2019

Sergio Mario Illuminato made this painting, Alchemy, which is 50 by 70 cm. This painting is really about the process. It feels like a conversation that Illuminato is having with the canvas, a kind of back and forth between intention and accident. Look at the way the blues and greens are dragged across the surface, almost like windshield wipers on a rainy day. You can almost feel the motion of his hand, the pressure he applied to the brush, and the way he layered the colors. There's this great tension between the marks that are almost violently dragged and the softer, more atmospheric passages. Check out the pink cloud near the horizon; it’s like a burst of sweetness amidst all the turbulence. It makes me think of Twombly, or maybe even a more lyrical Guston, but with its own distinct voice. Ultimately, a piece like this reminds us that art is less about answers and more about the questions we ask along the way.