Laps
Artist
Tim D'Acquisto
(American)
Date1982
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions40 × 30 in. (101.6 × 76.2 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Object numberUAC2686
DescriptionLaps, an acrylic piece on canvas, shows an abstract design of tables in a red space, blurring the perspective with a large black shape that extends into the background and connects the two table-like objects. Shapes and forms in this painting are pretty flat, with none of the shading or techniques that are expected in creating a life-like image. In a way, this brings this piece closer to some of the work of painter and collage artist Henri Matisse, a 19th century French painter known for similar work with flattened space and simple shapes. The most emphasized of the two tables gets a simple white outline that draws the eye towards where it sits at the bottom of the painting, but does not receive much special attention besides this. Paint here seems to be a kind of dynamic shape in and of itself, however, with visible brush strokes in every form and space give the painting a sense of motion in spite of the otherwise rigid and stable shapes that fill the picture plane. As typical of D’Acquisto and his work, ambiguity reigns supreme, however.
A member of the Buster Levi Gallery in New York, Tim D’Acquisto is a representational artist with an interest in the ironic. He tends to focus on the picture plane itself and very subtle metaphors that do not always have the benefit of explanation. Color and form make up the majority of D’Acquisto’s interest in regard to metaphor, content, and irony all at once. All of this serves to make his work enigmatic, thoughtful, and even mysteriously expressive.
Written by Alex Heath
