Well known for his abstract tonal paintings which have over several decades explored the interplay of forms interacting with each other, Caio Fonseca's work is in part influenced by his training and interest in classical musical composition. In Fifth Street C11.70, 2011 Fonseca has begun to distill his vision and approach to painting, which results in a boldly minimalist painting with shades of grayish blacks punctuated against a white background. Fonseca aspires toward abstraction in the purest sense, or, as he explains, that which can be communicated in paint alone as a medium. There are musical and mathematical allusions in his works, and a reference to his studio on Fifth Street in the title. His works are avidly collected because they just look great on the walls. At the young age of 42 in 2001 Fonseca joined an elite club of living artists whose works have been acquired by major contemporary museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is interesting to note that few of Fonseca's pictures turn up in the auctions rooms or in the secondary market, because his collectors simply do not want to part with them.
Lines and semi-circles move across our Untitled (P95.93), 1995 like musical notes, creating a feeling of movement and rhythm, an important part of Fonseca’s creations. He describes his work as a process of collection and subtraction, filling the surface with layers then taking away material to find the final image. These rhythmic patterns are most likely related to the artist’s training as a classic piano player. The absence of color in the picture is rare for the artist as he tends to use color in his shapes. We feel his approach here adds to a refined and elegant composition that emphasizes his markings and the textured paper he works on which has a wonderful feel to it. This work was done at a time that is considered to be one of his best periods.