In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many galleries are keeping artists’ work in the forefront by converting exhibitions to a virtual format. Not viewing Gordon D. Chase’s exhibition of charcoal drawings, “High Contrast,” at the Lamont Gallery, in person was a disappointment, but it was amply compensated for with an engaging conversation with the artist. Chase, a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy (class of 1966), recently retired after 40 years as an art teacher and administrator.

The text and artist’s statement on Chase’s website set the stage for the visual appreciation of his beautifully rendered drawings. Evocative, metaphoric and unsettling imagery steers us to the intellectual content of the works, conveying Chase’s view of the artist as seer, messenger and witness…