Maurizio Valch Abstract Painting / Territory and Thought
A vertical abstract painting in intense crimson red with tonal variations. Four thin, slightly diagonal white lines divide the composition horizontally. Upon each line rests a small white rectangular block with scraped textures, arranged in a stepped, ascending pattern from right to left. The red background displays subtle textures of brushstrokes and glazes.
ATHAR, from the STRATA series by Maurizio Valch. Layers of intense red acrylic and oil divided by horizontal incisions and geometric blocks.
A low-angle photograph of a vertical red canvas resting on a rustic wooden floor in a high-ceilinged artist atelier. The painting features a dense crimson surface divided by four fine, slightly tilted white horizontal lines. Small, white textured rectangular blocks are positioned on each line in an ascending staggered pattern. The canvas leans against an aged wall under soft natural light.
ATHAR, from the STRATA series by Maurizio Valch. A vertical composition in crimson red oil and acrylic, structured by horizontal incisions and geometric blocks.
Front view of a bright artist's studio with gables and skylights. Centered on a soft mint green wall hangs a vertical red canvas featuring fine horizontal white lines and small white geometric blocks. Below, a rustic wooden workbench holds brushes and studio materials. To the right, a wooden easel displays a blank white canvas. In the foreground, a round wooden table with paint palettes is softly out of focus.
ATHAR in an artist's studio setting. Maurizio Valch's vertical painting is mounted on a mint green wall, contrasting its dense crimson field with the natural light of the workspace.
An elevated, high-angle view from a concrete mezzanine with a metal railing, looking down into a double-height workshop. On the rustic concrete wall hangs a vertical abstract painting of intense red with white horizontal incisions and small pale blocks. On the gray cement floor of the ground floor, easels, wooden tables with brushes, jars, and empty stretchers are visible under the natural light from large windows.
Contextual view of the artwork ATHAR in an industrial design atelier, highlighting the vertical scale of the canvas against the concrete wall.
An overhead aerial view of a spacious industrial loft with concrete floors and large windows. Centered flat on a large light-colored rug is a vertical abstract painting featuring a deep crimson red surface with four thin horizontal white lines and small white geometric blocks. A gray sofa, a wood coffee table, and an artist's easel in the background are illuminated by soft natural light.
Overhead view of the original painting ATHAR by Maurizio Valch, displayed flat in a high-ceilinged industrial studio.
An oblique close-up view of the lateral edge of a vertical canvas painted in crimson red. The texture of the woven fabric is visible, casting a soft shadow onto a beige, mineral-textured, porous wall. Fine horizontal white lines cross the side edge, showing the continuity of the front composition around the sides of the wooden stretcher.
Lateral detail of the vertical canvas ATHAR, from the STRATA series by Maurizio Valch. The crimson-painted edge, crossed by incisions, reveals the volumetric structure of the work.
An extreme low-angle floor view of a vertical abstract painting leaning against a wall in an artist's studio. The crimson red canvas features subtle textures of oil and acrylic paint, crossed by four thin horizontal lines supporting small off-white geometric blocks. The rustic room has decorative encaustic tile flooring, weathered turquoise walls, and a wood-beamed ceiling.
ATHAR, from the STRATA series by Maurizio Valch. An architectural perspective emphasizes the physical scale and rich crimson materiality of the vertical canvas.

Published work / STRATA

ATHAR

Texture, order, and territory on a crimson field

Medium
Pintura
Size
31.5 × 47.2 in / 80 × 120 cm
Series
STRATA Painting series STRATA 2026–Present · 14 works STRATA brings together abstract paintings in which the surface becomes a territory of pressure, cutting and duration. Amid dense chromatic fields, compact blocks and incisions, Maurizio Valch situates memory as a material trace rather than a decipherable narrative. View series
Orientation
Vertical
Context studies
7

Conceptual Note

An intense crimson field defines this original red abstract painting, contrasting with the subtle precision of thin, chalk-white incised lines. These horizontal markings divide the vertical composition into ascending strata, supporting small, stone-like monolithic blocks.

This textured acrylic and oil painting reveals a process of accumulation and reduction. The surface is built through layered glazes and scrapings, achieving a material density that shifts from saturated vermilion to darker tones near the base. Four parallel incisions cut across the canvas with gentle diagonals, breaking the flatness of the color field and lending a topographical quality to the plane. Resting upon each line is a single pale prism, its scraped texture suggesting a tectonic presence suspended in a space devoid of scale references.

This composition establishes a quiet tension between the expansive warmth of the red background and the geometric rigidity of the forms. The blocks serve as markers of permanence within an unstable territory, suggesting an internal structure or memory that resists being absorbed by the surrounding color. Rather than mere visual borders, the incisions act as physical traces of an abstract journey, inviting a silent passage across the stratified surface.

My search for a deep, atmospheric spatiality is realized through an intense crimson field built with layered glazes and scrapings, establishing a dialogue with Mark Rothko. The transition from saturated vermilion to darker tones near the base relies on the physical weight of color to command the canvas. Within this vibrant expanse, the four parallel, chalk-white incisions operate in the lineage of Barnett Newman, serving as minimal linear interventions that slice across the canvas on gentle diagonals. Rather than mere borders, these markings break the flatness of the red plane, transforming the divisions into physical traces of an abstract journey. This composition assumes a topographical quality that connects my work to Richard Diebenkorn, as the horizontal markings divide the vertical plane into ascending strata. This organization suggests a territorial structure and internal horizons, evoking a sense of distance and permanence within an unstable territory. Finally, the single pale prisms resting upon each line reflect the influence of Paul Klee, functioning as small geometric presences that introduce scale and rhythm. These stone-like monolithic blocks, with their scraped textures, assert a tectonic presence suspended in a space devoid of scale references, creating a quiet tension with the expansive warmth of the background.