Artist Steven Cushner has filled three full rooms at Hemphill Fine Arts with his geometric abstract paintings that explore conflict and difficult choices. Working in acrylics and watercolors, he arranges both familiar and unusual shapes in precarious or straining positions, always questioning whether the pieces really fit. Whether you’re a fan of abstract art, or if you looked at the image of the painting on your right and thought, “I have no clue what that’s supposed to be,” you’re in luck. Cushner, along with Jeff Spaulding, currently showing his abstract sculptures at G Fine Art, will be giving an Art Talk at Hemphill this Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m.

Cushner centers on two kinds of conflict on his canvases. The first involves the proper fit and sequence of his geometric shapes. With this method, the artist often creates a struggle to build things – bridges, buildings, even paintings within the paintings – with shapes that are difficult to connect into a sound architectural scheme. In one of his more representational pieces, Rainbow Bridge, each uniquely-shaped fragment sits atop one another in an unsteady, Jenga-like fashion. The resulting structure is both attractive and slightly awe-inspiring in its ability to stand upright. If his shapes aren’t being stacked, they are squeezing into puzzles or waiting to be properly aligned into coherent forms; each scene resonates with the challenge of trying to fit unfamiliar pieces into complete and sturdy arrangement.