I was born poor, but modern. At fifteen, I was already instinctively thinking about simplicity, clarity and immediacy in my drawing. Synthesis has been a way of life for me, in symbols and in words. Synthesis is marvellous, and when you use it, everyone is grateful. Being concise and essential in symbols and forms, this is what I aspire to. A famous phrase by Mies van der Rohe expresses it perfectly: "Less is more". But synthesis does not work in love … Synthesis is not arid. You achieve synthesis even in rich interpretations of materials and forms. When I am talking about synthesis I am not referring only to meticulous images, to absolute whites, to the cross by a Malevi? or the slashes of a Fontana: a white background with ten balls or the painting of the "Quarto Stato" (The Fourth Estate) by Pellizza da Volpedo can offer just as much synthesis, if they have immediate physiognomy. Even one hundred horsemen would be good for me, if there is just one which is turning. There always has to be a precise unity.
by Armando Testa
I was born poor, but modern. At fifteen, I was already instinctively thinking about simplicity, clarity and immediacy in my drawing. Synthesis has been a way of life for me, in symbols and in words. Synthesis is marvellous, and when you use it, everyone is grateful. Being concise and essential in symbols and forms, this is what I aspire to. A famous phrase by Mies van der Rohe expresses it perfectly: "Less is more". But synthesis does not work in love … Synthesis is not arid. You achieve synthesis even in rich interpretations of materials and forms. When I am talking about synthesis I am not referring only to meticulous images, to absolute whites, to the cross by a Malevi? or the slashes of a Fontana: a white background with ten balls or the painting of the "Quarto Stato" (The Fourth Estate) by Pellizza da Volpedo can offer just as much synthesis, if they have immediate physiognomy. Even one hundred horsemen would be good for me, if there is just one which is turning. There always has to be a precise unity.
by Armando Testa
