Art show has unbelievable visual unity

The strength of Ruth Gier's black-and-white photographs comes from her manipulation of shadow, light and form; each of her chosen subjects, juxtaposed and illuminated as a precisionist's still life, makes for a visually keen figure-ground relationship.

Don Athay's gouaches hark back to the beginnings of French modernism — his paintings are reminiscent of early Matisse, Dufy, and more. His florals seethe with vibrancy. Together, the work of Gier and Athay create a harmonious statement at the Phillips Gallery through Feb. 13.

In her artist statement, Gier discusses her enduring interest in simplicity of form. "I constantly strive to distill my remembrances and experiences of natural light to making art."

The divers shades of gray the photographer achieves are like plot points in a well-developed novel: The eye's journey can be long, but it is most enjoyable and fulfilling.

Gier's employment of pears — which fruit some symbolists claim represents the love of Christ for mankind, as well as hope and good health — with smooth, non-textural, manmade objects, makes for a graceful, minimalist composition as in her "End of Abundance."

Painting large is important to the overall impact of Athay's work. In company with the altered perspective and marvelous array of colors, the artist has managed to create energy, coercing the eye to traverse the surface of each and every floral arrangement. This is no small feat. His occasional inclusion of black to outline his subject is especially nice.

"My aim is to create life impression of the fullness of the moment," he writes in his statement.

His painting "Fandango" is a medley of color, splashed on the canvas with controlled abandonment. The vibrancy in "Yin & Yang" is reminiscent of the pulsing pastels of Redon.

While Athay's work is in color, it only enhances Gier's black-and-white studies. The show has unbelievable visual unity, and this alone is a reason enough to see it.

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