Robert Rector’s paintings meld the two impulses that have defined 20th century non-figural art: the energy of abstract expressionism and the restraint and order of minimalism. Awash in vibrant color, his paintings are compositionally deft, incorporating raw gestural beauty within thoughtful geometrical structure. However, the intuitive tone of Rector’s work is such that the starkness of this dichotomy quietly fades into visual harmony. Rector was born in Mississippi and received both his BFA and MFA from Louisiana State University. He continues to live and work in Louisiana. His work takes inspiration in turn from the worn stone of Provence to the backwoods that surround his own studio outside Baton Rouge. Texture and surface are thus two themes woven through many of his paintings. Prismatic layers of color, sometimes playful and sometimes ethereal, define his body of work.