Untitled 1992

Antonio Palolo made this untitled painting with what looks like oil or acrylic in his signature geometric style. The way he’s built up these sharp-edged shapes, it feels so constructed, you know? Like he’s figuring out how shapes fit together as he goes, almost improvising. The canvas looks like it has been divided into two triangles – red, and blue – with that zingy yellow line running across to separate them. And then there are those vertical stripes in the background – which are a sort of red-purple haze, and they are neither here nor there. I bet Palolo was totally absorbed in the act of painting, responding to the canvas and letting the colours dictate where to go next. You can see how the paint itself adds to the effect, giving the painting a real tactile quality. It reminds me a little of some hard-edge painters, but with a slightly looser, more personal touch. Artists like Palolo are part of this incredible conversation that stretches back through art history, each one building on what came before and pushing things forward.