This work on paper by Riccardo Licata, dated 1974, belongs to the mature phase of his investigation into sign and visual structure. Across the surface, graphic elements of different sizes and densities are arranged according to a rhythm that evokes both writing and musical notation.
The sign is the structural element of the composition. Small modules, lines and symbolic forms are distributed across the paper without creating a traditional figurative narrative; instead, they generate an autonomous visual grammar.
This research is closely connected with Licata’s personal graphic alphabet, composed of signs, symbols and what he called “imaginary letters”. Through repetition, pause and variation, the surface becomes an articulated field in which space, colour and rhythm interact.
Executed in watercolour and felt-tip pens on paper, the work is signed and dated lower right. It is presented in a vintage frame.