"Solis"

Robert Petrick’s "Solis" is an art historically rich painting that finds a harmonious balance between gestural brushwork and geometric abstraction. After a few minutes of simply taking in the present work, I was reminded of preeminent American Color Field painter Kenneth Noland’s investigations of colors and their relationships in his trademark concentric circle paintings. Also, I cannot help but think of virtuoso Abstract Expressionist and Color Field adjacent painter Mark Rothko's studies of complimentary and gradating colors. "Solis"’s title means sun in Spanish and delivers on that name with the vibrant yellow acrylic paint dominating the composition’s center. The light blues framing the painting, deep greens and soft oranges offsetting the brilliant solar center provide tonal balance and abstract intrigue.