Nero 1960

Carla Accardi made this painting called ‘Nero’ with paint on canvas, the date is unknown. Look at this composition, black and white! It’s the kind of painting where the artist makes a mark, then another, and another, working to make a field of marks that add up to something bigger. The white shapes on the black ground create a really active surface. Up close, you can see how the paint is applied, not too thick or thin, each form feels carefully laid down. See the larger form in the upper part of the canvas, it's like an eye staring out! The contrast feels immediate and raw, yet the symbols or glyphs invite you to spend time decoding the image. Accardi was a member of Forma 1, a group of Italian abstract artists. The paintings of Cy Twombly come to mind, the sense of something ancient, but also completely new. It shows how art is a conversation, always in dialogue with the past and future.