An exploration of ways to disrupt the tradition of landscape painting, “Abstracted Vistas” at Auxier Kline pairs complementary works by Brooklyn-based Benjamin Staker and Bozeman, Montana-based Stephen Gay, both recent MFA graduates from the New York Academy of Art. Their substantive interpretations of landscapes—both real and intangible—emphasize the emotional underpinnings of the natural world.

“I use gestural expressionist techniques to distort my scenes, to speak about the play of literal and figurative darkness and light,” Staker shares with Surface, who notes that his pieces come about as he processes psychological damage. “They are imaginative re-inventions of the elements, landscapes translated into a topography of the mind, thus creating a conversation about the environment that surrounds us and the delicacy, intensity, and beauty of the emotional mindscape.” In the worlds of both fine artists, an invitation is presented for the viewer to look even deeper.