Reticolo nero diversi blu rosso verso destra 1948

Mario Ballocco made this painting, Reticolo nero diversi blu rosso verso destra, using paint, maybe oil or acrylic, and a steady hand. Look at the way he’s divided the canvas into these gem-like shapes. The blacks create a grid that both separates and connects the blues, violets, greens, and even a touch of red. The texture is smooth but you can see the strokes and the subtle variations in tone. It’s not just about color; it’s about the surface, the materiality of the paint itself. See how some of the blues are layered, almost translucent, while others are more opaque? It’s like he’s building up these little worlds within each shape. Ballocco reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the sense that his paintings use grids and repetition to create subtle, meditative experiences. But where Martin is airy, Ballocco is grounded. It's a process of building and layering, a kind of visual thinking out loud.