Maurizio Valch Abstract Painting / Territory and Thought
Horizontal abstract painting by Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA'. A vast teal color field occupies the background, divided by fine white horizontal lines. Three rectangular crimson red blocks, with blurred white and light blue edges, appear to float in the space: one large block on the right, a smaller one at the top left, and another smaller one towards the bottom center. The surface displays prominent texture with impasto and scraping marks.
Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA', an abstract painting from the STRATA series that explores territory and material.
Horizontal abstract painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA' by Maurizio Valch in a double-height loft. A vast blue-green field with three red blocks and fine horizontal lines hangs on an exposed concrete wall, illuminated by warm spotlights. The space features large black-framed windows, metal railings, modern gray furniture, and plants, viewed from an upper balcony.
Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA'. An abstract work exploring territory and matter through a blue-green field, red blocks, and fine incisions, creating spatial tension and a contained atmosphere.
Close-up of Maurizio Valch's horizontal abstract painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA', viewed from an oblique angle. The canvas edge, painted in teal green, is visible alongside a thin metal frame. The artwork's surface, executed in acrylic and oil, shows rich textures, impasto, and incised lines. Fragments of teal green fields and red monolithic forms are discernible under side lighting, emphasizing their relief.
STRATA VIII - TRIA: a study in materiality by Maurizio Valch, where texture and color converge in an abstract composition.
Horizontal abstract painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA' by Maurizio Valch. A vast teal green color field dominates, crossed by fine incised horizontal lines. Three rectangular crimson red blocks appear, with one large on the right and two smaller ones distributed on the left side. The canvas surface shows distinct impasto and scraped textures.
Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA', an abstract painting from the STRATA series exploring spatial tension and textured surfaces.
Horizontal abstract painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA' by Maurizio Valch. It features a vast blue-green color field, textured with impasto and scraping. Three rectangular carmine red blocks, with subtle outlines, appear to float: one large on the right, a smaller one top-left, and a third smaller one bottom-center. Fine incised white lines cross the surface.
Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA'. An abstract painting from the STRATA series, exploring inner territory, matter, and surface tension through color fields and monolithic forms.
Horizontal abstract painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA' by Maurizio Valch. Features a vast, textured teal green field with impasto and scraping. Fine incised horizontal lines span the surface. Three rectangular crimson red blocks, one large and two smaller, appear against the background. The blocks have edges with subtle color transitions.
Maurizio Valch, 'STRATA VIII - TRIA', an abstract work where textured surfaces and chromatic blocks build contained spatial tension.

Published work / STRATA

TRIA

Chromatic Tension in a Color Field

Size
47.2 × 31.5 in / 120 × 80 cm
Series
STRATA Painting series STRATA 2026–Present · 14 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
Horizontal
Context studies
6

Conceptual Note

Unlike figurative depictions that define space with concrete references, the spatial tension in Maurizio Valch’s painting 'STRATA VIII - TRIA' emerges from the contrast between a vast teal color field and the impactful presence of geometric crimson red forms. These forms, like monoliths, appear to float or anchor within a subtly incised horizon.

The artwork's materiality is built through a combination of acrylic and oil on canvas. Valch's process is evident in the rich surface textures: dense impasto in the upper section, glazes that lend depth to the lower field, and incised lines traversing the plane. These details are the result of palette knife application, scraping, and successive layering, evoking a geological landscape or a worked surface.

As part of the 'STRATA' series, this piece aligns with Maurizio Valch's exploration of territory as a surface of origin and memory. Here, the suspended blocks and horizontal lines function as 'strata' and 'spatial divisions.' They do not seek to illustrate a specific narrative but rather construct a space for contemplation, order, and fracture, inviting an open interpretation of matter, body, or a place of emergence within a sober and melancholic atmosphere.

In TRIA, the immersive quality of the vast teal color field establishes a sober and melancholic atmosphere dedicated to quiet contemplation. This expansive color space, balanced by the impactful presence of the geometric crimson red forms, builds an emotional weight that aligns with the spatial explorations of Mark Rothko, where the deep glazes of the lower section intensify the viewer's perceptual engagement. This field is structured by a subtly incised horizon and other incised lines traversing the plane, reflecting the minimal linear interventions of Barnett Newman. In this composition, these scraped divisions function as thresholds of order and fracture, organizing the color zones to define a clear sense of scale. Furthermore, the way these horizontal divisions and chromatic zones hint at a geological landscape reveals an affinity with Richard Diebenkorn. By treating the canvas as a territory of origin and memory, the abstract planes of teal and crimson suggest territorial structures rather than a literal depiction, a connection further reinforced by the tactile richness of the dense impasto in the upper section of the canvas. Finally, the impactful crimson red forms that float or anchor like monoliths within the composition evoke the compact blocks of color characteristic of Nicolas de Staël. These geometric, suspended blocks balance pure abstraction with a palpable spatial tension, maintaining a constant dialogue between physical matter and open space.