Peter Stephens: Marvelous Sauce Video

Rivalry Projects is thrilled to present Marvelous Sauce, our second solo exhibition with Buffalo-based artist Peter Stephens. The exhibition will be on view from March 7 - April 18, 2025.   

Including new paintings and works on paper, Stephens further explores the wonderment of color perception. It is driven by the optical blending of multiple painted halftones, creating layers of vibrancy that move the eye beyond its immediate expectations. Simple grid geometries serve as the foundational structure of these paintings, enabling the focus to remain primarily on the interplay of color and form. Initial inspiration and reference for this work lies in fundamental physics, symmetries of scale, and the mathematics that describe them, but rather than illustrating scientific concepts, Stephens takes on the artist’s task of interpreting their inherent resonances.

Each painting is an experiment in evoking responses through individual associations to color and pattern. By emphasizing the physical and emotional response to color, he creates an atmosphere where the viewer’s perception becomes an active participant in the work. The optical effects produced by the hand-drawn matrix and subtle tonal shifts are designed to reveal harmonies and tensions over time. In this way, the work aspires to exist as a space of pure aesthetic contemplation, where color becomes both the subject and the experience.   

Video shot and produced by Greg McClure.