John Seed interviews painter Alex Kanevsky on the occasion of his exhibition Unstable Equilibrium at Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, on view through October 31, 2015.

Kanevsky remarks: "At the moment I am interested in making paintings that are a form of unstable equilibrium. You come to see a painting. Everything appears stable and harmonious for a moment. Maybe a little cryptic, like a narrative that doesn't quite add up. The pieces don't connect into a coherent pattern, the statement, if there is one, is confusing. At this point a viewer assumes his or her own interpretation, contributing a narrative or a meaning from the outside of the painting. That meaning finds a resonance in the painting, like a face that reflects in a mirror suddenly in an unexpected way. The painting reflects what the viewer brought to it, and multiplies the impact of this contribution upon reflection. … I am not quite sure if it is possible, but right now it seems to be a fascinating problem that I could enjoy whether I solve it or not, as an artist."