Mezzo opaco, mezzo trasparente - Redux

In a previous publication, I explored the work of Mimmo Paladino, attempting to show that, on one hand, his artistic creations transcend the traditional and merely representational function of painting by not subordinating it to a purely symbolic or narrative purpose. Conversely, I argued that Paladino does not naively employ one of the seemingly obvious instruments of painting – attracting visual attention to its own medium. The present paper revisits that earlier intervention with greater analytical depth, critically examining and elaborating on the fundamental theoretical problems underlying those initial assertions and endeavoring to extend their conceptual scope beyond the specific case of a single artist.