In “Beneath Hyperion’s Sky,” Rhonda Gates presents a series of landscape paintings informed by sustained engagement with land, light, and atmosphere. The title’s reference to Hyperion—the figure associated with light and celestial order in Greek mythology—provides a historical lens through which to consider how illumination and time shape our understanding of the natural world. Rather than illustrating myth directly, Gates uses it as a conceptual framework to examine the evolving relationship between earth and sky and the transitional moments that unfold within it.
Each work begins with close observation. Walking through open terrain, tracking weather shifts, and watching how sunlight moves across surfaces form the foundation of Gates’s practice. Her paintings do not aim for literal representation; instead, they distill the qualities that define a particular moment—the stillness before a storm, the sound of rainfall moving through foliage, or the gradual recalibration of color as day progresses. Geometry plays a central role in this translation. Circles, grids, and measured lines operate not as ornament but as structuring devices that introduce rhythm, spatial balance, and internal logic. These visual systems amplify environmental forces, allowing each painting to function as a layered, animated field.
The reference to Hyperion situates these works within a broader continuum of natural cycles. Light, weather, and temporal change—phenomena as ancient as they are immediate—form the connective tissue of the series. By drawing attention to these recurring patterns, Gates encourages viewers to look beyond surface description and consider the dynamics that shape both landscape and perception. The paintings invite a slower kind of looking, one attuned to everyday atmospheres and the constant, often subtle, transitions that define them.
Within this framework, Gates foregrounds the physical conditions that influence how landscapes are seen: shifting brightness, atmospheric contrast, and the interplay of color and shadow. These elements guide attention and define experience, positioning the viewer inside an environment in constant motion. Rather than invoking symbolic meaning, the work emphasizes the tangible effects of light and weather and how they recalibrate our sense of place.
Ultimately, “Beneath Hyperion’s Sky” offers a contemporary approach to landscape painting that merges careful observation with abstraction. Gates moves beyond straightforward depiction, using calibrated geometry, distilled form, and variations in light to examine how environments evolve over time. Through this synthesis, the series invites viewers to consider landscape as both a record of natural conditions and a lens through which the intersections of nature, time, and visual experience can be explored.