Artwork details
Confronted Tile in Semi-Darkness
A vertical surface of folded bands in ash grey, where relief organises light into a slow, tectonic cadence.
Curatorial text
Beneath the appearance of a silent wall, the composition is organised into a sequence of horizontal strips that overlap like tiles or flexible sheets. Each band defines a precise interruption of the plane: the lifted edge generates a continuous line of shadow, while the body of the strip holds a matte light, lightly speckled. The narrow format heightens the upward reading, like a contained stratigraphy repeating with minimal variations.
The palette is sustained by ash greys and softened blacks, with scattered calcareous glints that recall a mineral granulation. In some sections, the material thickens into irregular zones, almost like imprints or knots, which break the uniformity without altering the work’s serene pulse. These darkened accumulations act as small accidents of time, embedded within the repetition.
A side view confirms a layered construction: the bands project with a moderate, constant relief, creating a stepped profile. As light grazes the folds, it activates an alternation of muted gleams and fine shadows that turns the painting into an object—closer to a worked wall surface than to an image—and underscores Pagliari’s characteristic tactile vocation.