Geometric Splendor

“Geometry will draw the soul toward truth and create the spirit of philosophy.” –Plato

“Geometry is the archetype of the beauty of the world.” –Johannes Kepler

Scientists, philosophers, and artists alike have all been fascinated with geometry almost since the beginning of time, with one of the most popular shapes being the rectangle. From artists basing compositions on the “golden section rectangle” in antiquity and during the Renaissance to Hans Hoffmann’s colorful paintings of overlapping rectangles of the 1960s, examples abound of painters taking delight in exploring the endless possibilities of rectangular configurations.

In Raj’s geometric paintings, rectangles perform a number of expressive functions. They are containers of pure, sensuous color as well as foils for other pictorial elements within a single work, whether abstract or figurative. Metaphorically, they can be associated with stability and order a well as with architectural traditions that have existed for centuries. In short, the rectangle is a timeless yet still filled with creative possibilities.