Lucio Fontana was the first well-known artist to cut his canvases; his slash series, also known as the Spatial Concept, featured slashes across the surfaces of monochrome paintings, representing what he dubbed “an art for the Space Age.” He generically titled these works “Concetto spaziale” (meaning “spatial concept”) and proceeded to use it for nearly all of his subsequent paintings. This innovative approach not only challenged traditional notions of painting but also opened up new dimensions in the realm of contemporary art. Fontana’s work inspired countless artists to explore the boundaries of their mediums and to think beyond the flat surface.

Since then slashed, cut and even mangled canvases have become if not common then hardly surprising in the gallery. But rarely do we see cut canvas as a meticulously crafted art form in itself.

Enter Marco Carletto the Italian artist I saw recently at his solo show in Tenerife. Carletto incises his canvases with the precision and craft of a sushi chef or a surgeon. Drawing on the timeless principles of sacred geometry, his cuts create patterns and abstract images that explore the possibilities of optical art, three-dimensionality and the play of light upon textured surfaces.

This is clever, difficult work. One mistake and it’s all over. The result is a meditative, focused art that surely is as enriching to the maker as it is to the viewer.