Opening Reception: Rick Stevens: In the Company of Trees

Rick Stevens: In the Company of Trees
artist’s reception: Friday, October 4, 5-7 pm
on view: October 4–21, 2024

Kay Contemporary Art announces, In the Company of Trees, an exhibition celebrating new works by artist Rick Stevens.

“Natural landscapes have been the primary inspiration and reference for my paintings throughout the course of my career. The landscapes of the Great Lakes region, primarily Michigan, remains etched in my memories and continues to flavor my imagery even while living in Santa Fe surrounded by the iconic southwest landscape.

My work goes from quite representational to abstract. This stylistic range provides me an opportunity to approach it from a variety of angles. Having an abstract painters eye when I’m painting landscapes helps in maintaining a freedom from stifling rules—those that you learn in order to break. Keeping a landscape painter’s eye when painting abstract imagery informs me how to manipulate space and evoke nature’s moods. Abstracted forms become semi-symbolic, references to natural phenomena are baked in from decades of depicting the landscape. Shapes, colors, textures, and even how the paint is applied is driven by the desire to capture certain effects that I’ve witnessed over the years. At other times, something specific such as how the fading light casts a hue over a scene can provide the sense of mystery that I yearn for. There is a Japanese word; “Komorebi” which describes the phenomenon of sunlight filtering through leaves and the patterns it creates as it falls on trees and surfaces. It is associated with tranquility, beauty, and a sense of harmony for the one experiencing it. I value such moments and consider them an investment in my general well-being.”