Untitled (Mountains) 1955

Omar Rayo made this painting, “Untitled (Mountains),” and in it, you can see a mix of flat shapes and textured surfaces. The colors are bold, almost like they're cut from construction paper, and the shapes lock together kind of like a puzzle. Looking closely, the texture gets pretty interesting. The gray parts, in particular, have this rough, scratchy quality, like he was really working the paint into the canvas. Then you've got these triangles with little hats, standing on top, each with its own vibe. The marks seem so simple, but they add up to this complex interplay of color and form, an idea of ‘mountains’ conjured out of pure design. It reminds me a bit of early Stuart Davis, but with a Latin American twist. Rayo isn't trying to fool us with realism; he's inviting us to play with shapes and ideas. It’s a conversation, and he’s asking us to join in.