Stephen Adams

The world we perceive seems to be structured in dualities: Human vs Nature, Man vs Woman, Light vs Dark, Good vs Evil, Hot vs Cold, Yin vs Yang, etc. Whether those elements are opposites/enemies, or perhaps friends/partners is what much of my work is about.

The dualities don’t necessarily cleave the world in two; rather, they are like left brain and right brain composing one indivisible human animal. Each pole has its place in a unified system.

It is an interlocking system. We can discern the differences in the component parts, but the parts are bound together, in some cases smoothly and harmoniously, in others with great tension, friction, and ambiguities. But ONE system, not two.

For example, I’ve done a series of pieces named “Interlocking”, in which the coolness, reflectivity, and transparency of human-made glass—a product of our industrial technology—is coupled and contrasted in a circular structure with the warm opacity of wood—sourced from nature, from a non-human living object. The dual components are separate but interlocking, conceptually fused in ONE whole. It’s a mistake to paint the world humans vs nature, because nature made us, made the tree, the rock, the sand, the elephant, the man, the pane of glass, the oil refinery, the smartphone. We come from ONE place.

All of my pieces try to address this, expressing, harmonizing, mourning, celebrating, reconciling seeming opposites.

Robert Elon

These works presented for Dualities, are abstract depictions of waterfalls, combining the warmth of wood with the cool, water-like quality of glass. Light, reflection, and shadow add visual interest, while dye, ink and acrylics add color and depth.

Waterfalls have always been a fascination of mine, the seemingly endless cascade of water and the land that navigates them. As a child they seemed magical and remain a wonder. Whether gently cascading or roaring into the plunge pool, waterfalls are soothing, sometimes paradoxically quietening, and thunderous.

Inspired by the Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai as well as Japanese minimalism, I’ve focused on creating intimate, tranquil works. I've borrowed elements of Hokusai’s work, integrating some of his color palette and layering glass to resemble the flowing, root-like structure of his iconic waterfalls.

With so much noise and complexity in our lives, I’ve been drawn to a minimalist aesthetic, seeking the quiet simplicity one finds in a Zen Garden.