Painting

Saccaro was often referred to as a colorist, which he never considered a compliment. Even so, it is obvious in such works as Under the Viaduct, 1953 that Saccaro had a strong sense of the emotive response color could evoke. More importantly, this is a 1953 work where we see a relationship with this West Coast Abstract Expressionist working off ideas he probably referenced in the work of Franz Kline and Hans Hofmann. Here, his use of deep reds contrasted by the cool blues and whites evokes a feeling of tension, struggle and power. In a 1974 interview for the Archives of American Art, Saccaro explained his process of painting in which he first establishes chaos by applying paint in various ways without plan or concept, sitting back for lengths of time until order begins to emerge, then going back to the work and establishing an order to the chaos. This method creates a beautiful structure to his works and unique to the artist, as evidenced in Under the Viaduct, 1953. As the title suggests, Saccaro may have seen a viaduct and was inspired to use its shape and form repeatedly and abstract off of it. Artists often see shapes and forms before us in a different way and use them as a jumping off point for ideas. In the end, the are looking to pictorially create interesting ideas on the canvas, often times visual ideas that are creative and not seen before. The painting is wonderful in its choice of color, the textures and the interactions of these structural and perhaps organic forms. It also has an edginess and unconventionality that will serve it well going forward in the realm of relevant art.

Bonhams 2007
Abby M. Taylor Fine Art LLC
Private Collection James Lodge 2008 until present