Appearance of Light

About Appearance of Light

This acrylic abstract painting in the cubist style is by Otto Rogers.

Otto Rogers is a distinguished abstract artist whose original artwork left an indelible mark on the Canadian art scene. A masterful painter and sculptor, Rogers developed his own signature style that echoed the bold cubist-constructivist form of work he admired--Pablo Picasso, Julio González and David Smith. He explored the interplay of bold colour and space in his artwork but he was also mindful of the extraordinary effect that light could have. Rogers is also known for his profound ability to convey both motion and stillness in his work, a quality that is, perhaps, a reflection of his faith as a devout Bahá'í. This abstract piece features graphic passages rendered in muted shades of light and dark green (suggesting foliage) and aubergine played against black. Lyrical brushstrokes and organic shapes in earth tones add dynamic detail.

“I came to the conclusion that obviously the most important element was light…Without light, you have nothing…no colour, no texture, no definition, no form.” Otto Rogers

“He stands apart from much of Canadian abstract art, in which colourists working with a high-keyed palette so often held the lion’s share of critical attention. This preoccupation with shifts in values reflects Rogers’s love of light. It is tempting to credit that love merely to the vast, sunlit expanse of the prairies he was raised on. But light has a special meaning for him beyond that. He associates it with knowledge and wisdom, in part because of his Baha’i faith.” Ken Carpenter, Professor of Art History, York University

Otto Rogers (1935-2019) was born in Saskatchewan and acquired his MA in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin. He later taught art at the University of Saskatchewan for 30 years. Rogers' contribution to teaching and mentoring the next generation of artists cannot be overstated. His work is included in more than 30 public collections across Canada, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael Canadian Collection, and the National Gallery of Canada. Roger’s work is also in the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the National Gallery of Iceland, as well as numerous private and corporate collections. Rogers also helped sustain the Emma Lake Workshops, which provided a meeting place for many of North America's most respected visual artists and critics, including Clement Greenberg, Barnett Newman, Jules Olitiski, Kenneth Noland, Jack Shadbolt, and Helen Frankenthaler. In 2007, a book of his work, Otto Donald Rogers, including a foreword by famed British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro was published.