“Lineal Pathways” features paintings from Stanczak’s “Crest” series, which are very different from his “See Through” series and “Grid” paintings. The “Crest” series is less geometric, more organic, and continues explorations Stanczak began in the 1960s. These paintings are created with many fine parallel lines that run from one edge of the canvas to the other with points of constriction that cause either subtle or immediate directional shifts. The effect is a topographical illusion, a ghostly blanketing of underlying objects and hills. The parallel lines with their subtle undulations and shifts create equally potent color effects. Many of the paintings alter spatial relationships and depth perception as seen through color. The reduced palette in these paintings is powerful because the adjacency of the lines and alternating colors creates an almost third color and/or monochrome effect in many of the artworks.
