Icy pond

joseph piccillo’s Icy pond draws its marked visual intrigue from a toned downed palette that relies on gesture, thick impasto, and enigmatic mark-making. The optical power of its mysterious and thickly painted surface does not rely on overpowering color or detail to draw in the viewer's attention. Instead, tonal subtlety and absence of discernable forms provide its allure. The subdued yet highly activated colors and thick cryptic brushstrokes become a sounding board for every viewer’s innermost thoughts. Some paintings do not leave much to the imagination; others bombard the viewer with a slew of intriguing images, but Icy pond does neither of these things. Instead, it gives the viewer a mirror that reflects the interior rather than the exterior. It doesn't manipulate or entice but invites. It asks nothing of the viewer, and in that nothing, the viewer finds what would otherwise be swallowed by a sea of colors.