Untitled 1972

Curator: Here we have a 1972 artwork by Antonio Palolo. He called it "Untitled," which I always find fascinating. It’s acrylic on canvas. Editor: Wow, immediate impact. It's got this retro-futuristic vibe. Those perfectly straight, vibrant stripes…almost like they're escaping this bold black shape that looks like it’s barely containing them. I get a sense of controlled energy. Curator: I see what you mean. Palolo, you know, worked a lot with geometric abstraction and clearly prioritizes the relationship between line, color, and form. Consider how the parallel stripes of varied widths create a tension, right? This pushes and pulls the eye across the canvas, so the viewer becomes actively engaged. It isn’t just passive looking. Editor: Exactly! It’s super engaging, and, strangely, feels so simple. Like it shouldn't be as captivating as it is. But the colors he's using, the way they almost vibrate next to each other…it’s like a visual buzz. Reminds me of some sort of strange schematic—some new circuitboard! Curator: That sensation of almost seeing or understanding a diagram, yes. But I think what’s essential here is the physicality of it: The very process, even, the very making. This canvas presents machine-like, precise lines and, by virtue of its creation, demands us to think about process. Editor: Ah, interesting! The handmade element. So it’s about this almost invisible act? Curator: Indeed. Because Palolo did this, right? The production relies on the hand to manifest this seemingly mechanically designed plan on raw canvas. We understand and see what happens, what Palolo labored to create. I believe it emphasizes not only making art but the social implications and history of how we consume artistic pieces. Editor: I do like the fact that Palolo does create this feeling. He creates what should not be, this friction between these clean stripes fighting this blob. He’s set up something special, some very tense situation! Curator: Agreed. It presents a dialogue of material investigation with a tension-filled presentation—what an inviting opportunity Palolo gives to his viewers to have that feeling in its most organic, essential elements. Editor: Definitely something to consider on a deeper level when considering what at first may feel just like design!