(Citta di Castello, Perugia 1915–1995 Nice) Bianco Nero, 1969, acrylic, plastic on Cellotex, 31 x 53 cm, framed, (PP)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Europe

Literature:
Burri Contributi al Catalogo Sistematico, 1990, page 234, no. 1004 with ill. (written confirmation from the Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini, Collezione Burri, Città di Castello with details of technique)

There was a short period of Bianchi Neri in Burri’s works in the early seventies. This saw a return to the bi-chromatic layers of his Combustioni plastiche from the latter half of the previous decade. These paintings’ significance lies in the extreme simplification of composition, accompanied by a clear definition of form. The pigment is applied uniformly, almost suggesting a print.

1969’s Bianco Nero is an outstanding work by the artist during a period of transition from three dimensional works Combustioni plastiche to works belonging to the black and white series Bianco Neri.

This Bianco Nero is characterized by a curved black and white form derived from an archivolt. Burri applied a thin plastic layer on top of the white surface, reminiscent of the burn marks imbedded in plastic in the Combustioni plastiche. By making plastic the central feature of the work Burri challenges the concept of two-dimensionality.