Warthog 1950

John Galloway made this *Warthog* with paint and line. Look at those brown and green washes, and the scribbly lines that scratch and loop around. I can imagine him, brush in hand, circling the beast, feeling its weight and presence. Painting this must have been a dance between control and accident. See how the colors bleed and blend, creating unexpected textures? The warthog almost seems to emerge from the chaos of the paint, like a memory taking shape. And that bold, dark line that defines its back – it’s so sure, so confident. It reminds me of other artists who wrestle with form, like Guston or Auerbach, building and destroying images until they find something real. It feels like Galloway is asking, ‘What does it mean to see? What does it mean to capture the essence of an animal with just a few marks?’ And in the end, he gives us not just a warthog, but a feeling of warthog-ness.