Tension with a Yellow Shape 1947

John Grillo made this painting on a sheet of paper using big, bold strokes of paint. I can imagine him wrestling with the image; maybe it started as something else entirely and then, through layers and corrections, it became this dynamic composition of color and form. The painting's alive with tension, right? That big yellow shape feels like it’s pushing against the red ground, while the blues and blacks anchor the composition. I'm drawn to the raw, almost clumsy quality of the strokes, especially that thick black line snaking down the right side. It's like Grillo is inviting us into his process, showing us the evidence of his struggle to find the right balance. It reminds me of other abstract expressionists grappling with similar issues of space, color, and gesture. There's something so human about that struggle, that willingness to embrace uncertainty and let the painting lead the way. In the end, it’s this sense of openness that really resonates, a reminder that painting is a conversation, a way of thinking through feeling.