Process takes precedence over form, with the physical changes brought on fire in his combustion of wood, fabric, and plastic. The physical characteristics of melted plastic are variously used as elements in overall abstract composition. For the artist, “combustion” refers not to the fire from the torch itself, but rather to the process of burning, which transforms one flammable material into another. Listed as a material and reinforced in the titles of Burri’s works from this period, “combustion” suggests metamorphosis rather than simply being an agent of change. “

There is an element in Burri’s fire paintings that reach backwards to primordial feelings and speaks to every person’s experience of watching fires and of knowing the danger and pain in burning. The Combustione series is an aggressive statement which communicated to all but on the basis of simple materials and common experiences”

(Norland in Los Angeles 1977, p. 44).