Perceptual Abstractions: Field Theories From the Autism Spectrum: Christa Stephens

Perceptual Abstractions: Field Theories From the Autism Spectrum is an exhibition of geometric paintings by Santa Fe artist Christa Stephens. Drawing upon the complex intellectual processes of her neurodivergence, these works utilize elemental shapes and patterns to describe the life spaces of an artist who transmutes sensory experiences into carefully rendered abstract compositions. The exhibit presents an overview of paintings from the past five years, juxtaposing large-scale recent works with earlier minimal renderings, and reflects the artist’s engagement with mid-century Hard-edge Painting and Post Painterly Abstraction.

In physics, a field theory describes how a physical property is affected by variables on which the property depends. In psychology, a field theory describes how an individual is affected by the environment in which they live, and is often referred to as a “life space.” In both cases, mathematical models are used to express the interactions between properties. Stephens borrows the term for her work to organize and contextualize her experience of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. Though not a mathematician, she’s drawn to the visual language of geometry as a way to articulate the intricacies of sensory and perceptual differences, environmental sensitivities, and challenging social interactions.

 This body of work presents an opportunity to consider how differences in neurology and perception affect artistic trajectory. Stephens, like many autistic people, is a bottom-up thinker - one who structures and categorizes details to arrive at a concept rather than forming conclusions based on assumed knowledge. This tendency is related to heightened pattern recognition and systemic reasoning, both of which can be observed in her elaborate, hard-edge abstractions that juxtapose a dynamic range of color, line, and form with an unpredictable compositional style.