Sharon Butler blogs about the exhibition Joanne Mattera: Chromatic Geometries at Arden Galery, Boston, on view through September 30, 2013.

Butler writes: "In 'Chromatic Geometries,' … Mattera has decisively moved away from the layered, atmospheric approach of earlier 'Silk Road' and 'Vicolo' series to explore, with her customary virtuosity, the possibilities of figure-ground relationships and the illusionistic space conjured by dividing the square into two horizontal rectangles. As usual, Mattera demonstrates tremendous mastery over her materials and a seductive approach to color, while introducing some quirky compositional strategies. Although she usually discusses her work in terms of formal exploration, the timeless fascination of the figure-ground reversal that points to our shifting notions of meaning and perception is compelling on a metaphorical level as well."