A vertical abstract painting featuring a textured vertical band in reddish-orange with a bright yellow edge on the left. The background is a large field of dark cobalt blue. On the center and right, thin horizontal and diagonal white lines support a medium red square on the upper right and a smaller red square below. Fine lines outline open rectangular shapes along the white lines. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Acrylic and oil on canvas. From the LIMINA series, exploring thresholds and transitional spaces through cobalt blue fields, incised lines, and red color blocks.

An oblique close-up photograph of the upper corner of a vertical abstract painting. The edge of the canvas in a black floating frame is mounted against a rustic brick wall, showing the texture of cobalt blue and red paint on the surface. — Angular detail of GRADUS, an oil and acrylic painting on canvas by Maurizio Valch, displayed on a rustic brick wall.

An oblique macro photograph of the edge of a vertical stretched canvas. The side is covered in a uniform cobalt blue paint, revealing the weave of the support and casting a soft shadow on the wall. On the visible front surface, a small red block rests on a thin white line against the deep blue field. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS (edge detail). Oil and acrylic on canvas. A perspective highlighting the fabric texture and the lateral extension of color from the SITUS series.

An extreme low-angle floor-level photograph shows the vertical abstract painting GRADUS leaning against a brick column. The canvas features a deep cobalt blue background with a rust-orange band on the left and small red geometric shapes suspended from thin white lines. The wooden floorboards in the foreground stretch diagonally. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Oil and acrylic on canvas. Extreme low-angle view from a wooden floor in an industrial loft setting.

High-angle perspective view of a spacious industrial loft with black steel beams and light wood floors. Hanging at the center of a tall exposed brick wall is a vertical abstract painting featuring a large cobalt blue field, a rust-colored block on the left edge, and small red squares suspended on thin white lines. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Oil and acrylic on canvas. View of the vertical painting installed on an exposed brick wall within a spacious industrial loft, showing the relationship between the textured surface and the surrounding architectural space.

A large vertical abstract painting leans against a brick column on a polished concrete floor inside a spacious loft. The canvas features a deep cobalt blue background. On the left, a textured rust-orange vertical band is bordered by a thin, bright yellow line. Near the center and right, delicate white lines cross horizontally and diagonally, holding a medium red square near the top right and a smaller red square below. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Oil and acrylic on canvas. From the SITUS series, shown leaning in an industrial loft interior.

A low-angle photograph taken from a polished concrete floor featuring an embedded metal star. In the background, a large vertical abstract painting hangs on an exposed brick wall inside a double-height industrial loft with high windows and spherical pendant lamps. The painting features a dark cobalt blue background, a vertical rust-orange block on the left with a bright yellow edge, and red geometric shapes suspended over thin white lines. — A low-angle view of GRADUS, an oil and acrylic painting on canvas by Maurizio Valch, integrated into the architecture of an industrial loft.

An overhead aerial view of the vertical abstract painting GRADUS by Maurizio Valch, placed flat on the wooden floor of an industrial loft. The large cobalt blue canvas features a textured reddish-orange vertical block on the left flank with a thin bright yellow edge, and fine white lines supporting two red geometric shapes in the center, set within a bright minimalist space. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Oil and acrylic on canvas. An artwork from the SITUS series, photographed from an overhead perspective on the floor of an industrial loft.

Close-up of a vertical abstract painting surface showing a textured, rust-orange vertical band on the left with a glowing yellow edge. This meets a deep cobalt blue field containing fine, intersecting white lines and a small red square near the bottom. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS (Detail). Oil and acrylic on canvas. From the SITUS series, a visual investigation of boundaries, thresholds, and spatial transitions.

A three-quarter perspective view of a vertical abstract painting hanging on a rustic, exposed brick wall in an industrial loft. The canvas features a dark cobalt blue background. On the left edge, a vertical orange-red band is bordered by a thin, bright yellow line. Delicate white linear structures cross the center, supporting two red squares of different sizes. — Maurizio Valch, GRADUS. Oil and acrylic on canvas. An oblique view of the work from the SITUS series, situated within an industrial loft to show the relationship between the cobalt, rust, and red tones and the surrounding brick architecture.

Front view of an industrial loft interior. A vertical abstract painting is mounted on a raw brick pillar above a low dark wood sideboard with books. The canvas features a deep cobalt blue background, a textured rust-orange vertical band on the left with a bright yellow edge, and fine white lines suspending two red squares on the right. — Installation view of GRADUS by Maurizio Valch on an exposed brick column within an industrial loft. The vertical canvas from the SITUS series integrates with the natural wood and iron elements of the space.

Published work / SITUS

GRADUS

Chromatic thresholds and linear tensions in the LIMINA series

Medium: Pintura
Size: 47.2 × 63 in / 120 × 160 cm
Series: SITUS
Orientation: Vertical
Context studies: 11

Conceptual Note

A dense, rust-toned vertical column anchors the left margin of the canvas. This material form, defined by an incandescent yellow edge, offers a stark contrast to the vast expanse of cobalt blue that dominates the composition, where the surface is built through subtle, layered applications of acrylic and oil.

Two vibrant red quadrants serve as visual anchors within the field. The larger block rests upon a thin, diagonal white line traversing the plane, while the smaller sits lower down, framed by delicate linear frameworks that trace open thresholds and contours. This spatial arrangement creates a calculated tension, where geometric elements appear to float across slightly inclined horizons.

As part of the LIMINA series, this contemporary abstract painting functions as an active space of transition. The rectangles and lines do not represent a physical landscape; instead, they suggest structural levels, suspended accesses, and territorial boundaries where color and fine incisions delineate zones of pause and movement. The composition presents a minimalist architecture that prioritizes the concept of the threshold over direct representation.

The work highlights the dialogue between the solid presence of the lateral block and the lightness of the linear traces. In this cobalt blue abstract art, the minimalist vertical painting avoids narrative to sustain a contemplative, sober atmosphere, where each geometric element acts as a signpost within a transforming space.

Artist influences

My exploration of a contemplative, sober atmosphere in GRADUS is deeply connected to the legacy of Mark Rothko, particularly through the vast expanse of cobalt blue that dominates the canvas. This surface, built through subtle, layered applications of acrylic and oil, allows the deep color field to function as an active space of transition. The rich, quiet depth of this blue prioritizes the concept of the threshold over direct representation, creating a space for quiet observation. Within this expansive field, the thin diagonal white line and delicate linear frameworks align with the minimalist geometry of Barnett Newman. These precise incisions partition the canvas to delineate zones of pause and movement, transforming simple divisions into suspended accesses. By serving as visual anchors, they guide the viewer through a series of open thresholds across slightly inclined horizons. This lightness of the linear traces stands in sharp contrast to the dense, rust-toned vertical column anchoring the left margin, a structural element that reflects the influence of Nicolas de Staël. Defined by an incandescent yellow edge, this compact lateral block introduces a solid presence that balances the floating geometric elements. The resulting dialogue between this heavy, localized volume and the surrounding color field sustains a calculated tension across the entire composition.

All declared affinities