Whitefoil

American, born 1926

Oil on Baltic birch plywood

Using just two colors (red and yellow) plus black and

white, artist Jack Youngerman has created a dazzling

image of pulsing energy, held in check by strict

geometry. How did he do it? Youngerman subdivided

the square canvas into four equal quadrants and

anchored each corner with heavy, black frame

segments. Within this stable structure, red and yellow

bands—together with four, white, triangular forms—

radiate outward from the glowing central beams of

yellow light like an exploding star.