Guido Molinari is recognized as one of the most influential artists in contemporary art in Canada, having played a key role in the development of non-figurative painting. His work Mutation verte et orange illustrates perfectly his innovative approach to color. Created at a time when he was measuring himself against the dominant contemporary movements, Op Art and Color Field Painting, this work is a testament to his unique exploration of color.

During this period, Molinari sought to push the boundaries of abstraction by questioning the relationship between the artist, the work, and the viewer. Devoid of a concrete subject or figurative references, the work nevertheless solicits the viewer through a sensory and cognitive experience, based on the perception of colors and shapes.

“In his early texts, he clearly marked what distinguished him from Automatism. He denounced this movement’s attachment to the structure of the landscape as a formula for composition and to atmospheric color. On the contrary, he was the defender of a two-dimensional space, of color-energy, and, finally, from the 1960s, of the notion of series." — Burnett, Marilyn, Molinari, Guido: Canadian Encyclopedia, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/molinari-guido