Picture puzzle

In his minimalism-meets-M.C. Escher style, artist W.C. Richardson works with subtle issues of perception.

His brightly colored paintings in burnt orange, red and inky blue explore the line between chaos and order. And the urge to impose order, to figure out what visual information to emphasize seems the crux of Richardson’s paintings. We tend to assume — as resolution-craving beings — that if we can just get all of our ducks in a row, the truth, the way will emerge. Maybe. Maybe not, Richardson riddles like some thoughtful Buddha.

In almost all of the seven canvases on display at Kiang, Richardson creates orderly, almost mechanical forms and juxtaposes them with swirling, decorative, curlicue chaotic shapes. “Round Fire” features interlocking “S” shapes like springs or coils that immediately attract the eye because of their regimentation. Beneath those forms, more chaotic red and black graphics churn and hum.

Though it’s tempting to separate foreground and background, the inclination to order and segment space is never quite rewarded. Richardson seems more interested in forcing us to see the myriad layers of perception, each vying for attention.

In “Passed Trackers,” there are even seafoam green dots floating on the surface of the painting, as if to compel us to focus and hone in, even as the background compels us to enter its quagmire.

While so much artwork seems to be about inciting a conversation with viewers, there is the sense in Richardson’s work of eavesdropping on a conversation the artist is having with himself. Those kinds of internalized explorations can often feel off-putting to people outside of an esoteric art-making loop, which seems to speak some visual Esperanto. Richardson’s work does not exactly make a beeline for your heart and soul. But like other works shown at Kiang Gallery, it works in quieter, meditative ways, showing art’s ability to reveal — like a puzzle slowly assembled — if the viewer is willing to spend the time.

And in these issues of perception, Richardson suggests a powerful metaphor for life as a matter of coming to terms — or at least finding some peace — with the simple fact that easy solutions will never be gleaned.

W.C. Richardson: New Paintings runs through May 29 at Kiang Gallery, 1545 Peachtree St., Suite 225. 404-892-5477. www.kiang-gallery.com.