New York artist Gary Stephan continues to refine his formal ambiguity, the shapes playing hide and seek within the picture field. One senses the concreteness of rocks, the frailty of foam, the shimmer of backlight around the edges, yet the flatness jumps back and traces remind the viewer that ultimately the painting is the thing. In addition to his newest paintings, Stephan’s version of Ways to Make Things includes small sculptures and a series of short videos, which are particularly revealing of his illusionist techniques.

The videos are witty demonstrations of vanishing planes, gravitational dynamics and shifting perspective.The sculptures, created primarily with studio detritus and paint, demonstrate the elegant balance of composition, the transformative nature of the studio itself, and the sheer fun of making things.