Confidence in Abstraction: Brandon Zech’s review of Raychael Stine’s “Falls and Springs and Stardust Things”

Brandon Zech of Glasstire: Texas Visual Art recently reviewed Professor of Painting and Drawing Raychael Stine’s exhibition, “Falls and Springs and Stardust Things,” in his piece “Chimerical Colors.” Zech writes, “Raychel Stine’s paintings are full of pleasurable deceptions. The first is a subtle but present tsk-tsk against the perceived easiness of abstraction. The second is a handling of the medium itself that physically, through drop shadows, shading, and the inimitable qualities of paint, tricks the eye. The third is the presumption that these works, whose subjects and forms emerge the longer you look, aren’t about anything, when in fact they derive from the artist’s own history, themes, and predilections.”

Zech also comments on both the elements of abstraction that Stine takes within her work, but also the many ways that Stine goes beyond them. For example, Zech comments that, “Stine is sure-footed in her choices, which means that even though her paintings occupy in-between states-abstract but hintingly figurative, original but self-mythologizing-they are smoothly confident.” This confidence defines not only her work as an artist but also her role as an Associate Professor at UNM. Through her teaching, she encourages students to push beyond the boundaries of their chosen styles, to experiment fearlessly, and to imagine entirely new worlds. Stine empowers her students to inhabit the creative space in between, where innovation, curiosity, and transformation thrive.

Along with this review, Stine’s exhibition was also picked for Texas Art Exhibitions Fall 2025 in Southwest Contemporary. Congratulations Raychael!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
READ MORE about Brandon Zech’s review at https://glasstire.com/2025/10/26/review-raychael-stines-chimerical-colors/ and https://southwestcontemporary.com/
LEARN MORE about Stine’s exhibition at https://www.crisworley.com/
EXPLORE the work of Raychael Stine by following on Instagram @rayrayandbertie.