Using only subtle changes in color, shape and texture in his paintings, Jerald Ieans creates mesmerizing visual riddles that function on a cerebral level that is both soothing and challenging. In his recent show, he presented six new monochromatic canvases, each closely related tones of a particular color.

On a flatly painted ground, Ieans layers four opaque, biomorphic shapes, each masked off and rendered in one of the various hues. Sheila, for example, is in hues of peach while Agreyable uses gradations of gray. Only where layers do not overlap can the color underneath be been. The effect is as if pieces of a puzzle were stacked so that just the odd protrusions of the pieces beneath are visible. Purposefully directed, delicate brushstrokes -- each layer oriented in a different direction -- add further distinctness to the layers.

The color and pattern of each layer provide clues as to how the various bits fit together. Particularly successful is the purple-hued Poise. The light purple shade in the top center is the same as the one in the lower right, as well as the left edge. The brushstrokes in each are also traveling in the same direction, enabling viewers to mentally connect the pieces. A similar dissection of each layer then follows.

Despite a reductive palette, Ieans's use of color is complex. Each work plays very subtly with the notion of chromatic composition, pushing a single hue in different directions on the color spectrum, or making it lighter or darker by infusing it with varying amounts of white paint. As a result, the appearance of the paintings changes radically with the ambient light. Under normal gallery conditions, the chromatic differences are apparent. As the light source diminishes (a gallery attendant lowered the lights during my visit), the white really comes through, giving each layer a frosty tone. With their array of visual nuances, these elegant works offer a complex visual experience.