Vertical abstract painting featuring a vast upper field of dark ochre with subtle light diagonal lines and small blocks. A dark, undulating line separates this field from a bright yellow lower strip. The surface displays visible textures and pigment layers.
"STRATA V — QUINQUE" is a vertical abstract painting featuring ochre and yellow fields, where incised lines and elemental forms interact on a layered surface.

Published work / STRATA

STRATA V — QUINQUE

Ochre and Yellow Contrasts: The Stratification of a Territory

Medium
Pintura acrílica y óleo
Size
80 × 120 cm / 31.5 × 47.2 in
Series
STRATA Painting series STRATA 2026–Present · 9 works Maurizio Valch's STRATA series features contemporary abstract painting, showcasing artwork with stratified surfaces. Crafted with acrylic and oil on canvas, this series stands out for its dense chromatic fields and profound incisions, evoking an inner, archetypal territory. View series
Orientation
Vertical
Context studies
12

Conceptual Note

The vertical composition of "STRATA V — QUINQUE" is structured by a clear contrast between two dominant color fields. The expansive upper section features deep, earthy ochre tones, creating an atmosphere of contained density, which stands against a vibrant, luminous yellow strip below. The transition between these two areas is not a straight line but a darker, undulating horizon that meanders across the canvas, establishing an organic and tense division.

Across the ochre field, the surface reveals meticulous material work. Layers of acrylic and oil are superimposed in subtle glazes and impasto, suggesting the sedimentation of matter and the passage of time. Several fine, light-toned lines traverse this expanse with a slight diagonal inclination, appearing as if incised or scraped directly onto the pigment. Along these lines and positioned above the horizon, small rectangular blocks emerge, acting as elemental markers or presences that provide visual anchor points and a subtle three-dimensionality to the plane.

The combination of expansive color fields with delicately worked details generates a contained depth, where space is not endlessly open but perceived as stratified and dense. The asymmetrical balance, with the visual weight of the ochre compensated by the luminosity of the yellow and the distribution of the blocks, contributes to a silent and contemplative spatial presence. This work from the STRATA series reinterprets territory not merely as a landscape, but as a primordial surface where memory and transformation intertwine through visual sedimentation and elemental forms.

The quietude emanating from "STRATA V — QUINQUE" invites prolonged observation, where the interplay between the ochre and yellow fields, unified by that undulating horizon, becomes the focal point of a dialogue among matter, form, and interior space.

Studio Information

La obra explora el territorio no solo como paisaje, sino como una superficie primordial de memoria y transformación, articulada a través de la estratificación y la presencia de formas elementales.