STEPHEN MAINE
Cupcake Uptake and the Cloud of Unknowing
May 1st - June 6th, 2021
Stephen Maine is known for abstract, process-based paintings in which color, surface, and
pictorial space are crucial components. Working in acrylic on both paper and canvas, Maine
combines the arbitrariness of composition with precisely calibrated color.
The artist says this about his procedure:
Some years ago, it occurred to me that conveying paint to canvas by means of a system
that uses printing plates instead of brushes would save a lot of time and trouble. This
indirect, intentionally imprecise production method yields the great pleasure of surprise
while providing a concrete way to think about color, surface, scale, seriality,
figure/ground, original/copy, and the psychology of visual perception.
In addition to his track record of exhibitions in the New York City area, Maine’s work has been
seen locally at Five Points Gallery in Torrington, ICEHOUSE Project Space in Sharon, and the RE
Institute in Millerton, New York. Maine recently relocated to West Cornwall after living and
working in and around New York City since 1982.