Rocor 1963

Robert Huot painted "Rocor" using a few colors and simple geometry. The way the shapes are painted feels less about trying to trick you into seeing something, and more about laying down a basic structure. I’m really taken by the surface quality in this piece. Huot lays down paint with a flat, almost industrial feel. The colors, limited to green, black, and orange, are applied in even, unmodulated layers, emphasizing the two-dimensionality of the canvas. Up close, you might notice tiny imperfections, little bumps and inconsistencies in the paint. But those imperfections are what makes the piece so interesting. It keeps the work from being too clean, lending it a kind of handmade charm. Huot's work reminds me a bit of Sol LeWitt, especially in the way both artists use simple, geometric forms to create visually compelling compositions. "Rocor" invites you to see the beauty in simplicity.