Classico 3

Robert Ryman's Classico series demonstrates his investigation of the flattest possible supports. Because of that objective, Ryman chose to use paper as a support surface. He experimented with various paper types of different weight and colour before settling on the brand Classico, which also became the name of the series. In this work, twelve rectangular pieces of paper were taped to the wall and painted. The tape was then removed and traces of the tape were incorporated as compositional components. The paper was mounted on foamcore with hot glue in three rows. The altogether lean work takes the wall into account; Ryman viewed the wall as part of the composition. Although Ryman's work is associated with Minimalism, the Classico series is less consistent with the Minimal aesthetics because there are traces from the brush marks and each panel is slightly different, which contributes to a handmade look.