298 - AFRO BASALDELLA (Udine, 1912 – Zurich, 1976) – La corda (1966)

AFRO BASALDELLA (Udine, 1912 – Zurich, 1976) – La corda (1966) Mosaic on fiberglass panel. Dimensions: 61 × 140.5 cm. This abstract and expressionist work features a horizontal composition of intense color and rich texture, articulated through organic forms, irregular geometric structures, and a complex network of sinuous lines intertwined against a background of white, gray, and ochre tones. The composition is dominated by large areas of intense red, primarily in the central and right sections, which contrast with dark patches of black, brown, and violet. On the left, a cluster of angular forms and gestural strokes with a fragmented appearance stands out, accompanied by a reddish surface at the bottom. In the central area, a complex structure of curved and diagonal lines and calligraphic elements unfolds, seemingly evoking intertwined ropes, knots, and suspended forms. On the far right, a large, irregularly shaped figure stands out, defined by thick, dark lines and traversed by an intense red surface, which lends balance and visual tension to the whole. The use of small mosaic tiles gives the surface a remarkable richness of textures and variations in light, transforming the spontaneity of the painterly gesture into a monumental composition. The work reflects the artistic language of Afro Basaldella—known as Afro—one of the key figures of postwar Italian abstraction, whose work is characterized by the integration of biomorphic forms, gestural structures, and a particular sensitivity to the relationships between color, space, and matter. In this composition, the reference to rope suggested by the title is transformed into an abstract network of lines and tensions that traverse the surface, establishing a dialogue between movement, balance, and spatial fragmentation. Its formal conception shows affinities with certain works by Arshile Gorky (1904–1948), especially in the use of organic forms, sinuous lines, and abstract structures evoking nature, as ...