Composición 1954

José Pedro Costigliolo made this painting, Composición, with flat colour planes and hard-edged geometry. There's a limited colour palette, creating a sense of harmony, as if he embraced a kind of restriction, pushing himself to do more with less. The surface is smooth; the paint is thin and applied evenly. It's almost like he's trying to hide the process, but that creates its own mystery. The white pointy shape, it's so decisive, like a key unlocking something. It cuts across the surface, challenging the stasis of the blue background. It interacts with the circle, and the other shapes in a dynamic way; I can feel that energy. Costigliolo's work reminds me a little of Mondrian, but more playful, looser somehow. It's a testament to how artists continually riff off each other, finding new ways to explore visual language. It shows how something really rigid can feel fun and free, too.