11/14/2024
Gouged out of the white plastic surface of Alberto Burri's Combustione plastica are craters, their edges thickened, baring the scars of the burning that created them: the artist has both destroyed and celebrated his material.
The holes in the surface of this work, which was executed in 1956, create an intriguing dialogue: backed with black, they become opposed to the white of the plastic that has been burnt, an effect that Burri has both complicated and heightened through his own use of black paint upon the surface.
Burri soon became an expert at manipulating the way that his various materials burnt, allowing him to create complex compositions with deft control. He would leave little to chance, dabbing or prodding the materials in order to ensure that they caught fire only to the extent that he desired.
Image: Burri, Combustione plastica, 1956
HellyNahmadGallery
