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In
1965, while spending the summer in a Maine farm house, Grillo painted
on found objects such as: bent wood chairs, antique victrolas, headboards,
farm implements, a sauerkraut maker, and his own easel and palette.
He did a series of geometric etchings, paintings and silk screens from
1968-1969.
Grillo joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst
in 1967. There he served as an inspiration to his students, initiating
participatory events such as mural projects in public places, thematic
performances and arts carnivals, which later led to his “Circus
Theme” a series of paintings produced from 1981-83.
In the 1970’s Grillo continued Geometric paintings, this time on
a larger scale in a constructivist manner. He also produced a series
of voluptuous drawings, prints and paintings of female nudes ranging
from innocence to those provocative in nature. Toward the late seventies
Grillo created a body of work he named the “Kaleidoscope Series”.
Some of these paintings remain abstract while others could easily be
recognized as landscape paintings with trees, mountains and hills. Having
traveled to South America in the early 1980’s, the mythology and
religion of the Colombian Indians became the theme of paintings and
charcoal drawings depicting El Dorado. He also created large scale vibrant
paintings based on the Tango theme. “Grillo researched the origin
of the dance from a form of social protest to a fashion of the times.
He used the music of the dance to guide his art works” (Ellen Rubenstein,
Cove Gallery, 1998). This theme was later revisited in 1998. What was
unique about his circus and Tango paintings was that some were painted
on both sides of the canvas and hung from the ceiling to be viewed from
both sides.
Before retiring from the University of Massachusetts in 1991, Grillo
produced a large mural representing the agrarian and academic elements
in the history of the town of Amherst, presided over by the illustrious
native poet, Emily Dickinson, levitating appropriately over the scene.
The mural is installed in the Jones Public Library.
In 1991, Grillo moved to Well Fleet, Massachusetts where he presently
lives and maintains a studio. In his most recent exhibition “John
Grillo: A Painter’s Life of Expression. Works from 1938-2002“,
more than six decades of work are represented at the Museo Italo Americano,
San Francisco, California from January 18 through March 30, 2002.
In a recent interview Grillo’s thoughts included the following:
“Abstract painting is on a level with music. It’s a physical
outburst from your whole being. It’s not the idea that is created
and then you start painting. It’s always a challenge to shape something
from nothing, to do the impossible.” As told to Jamieson Grillo,
August, 2001.
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