Retired Manhattan physician Thomas Kovachevich creates understated, humble paintings, sculptures, and installations. For his 2012 series “Alpenglow,” Kovachevich mimicked the titular optical phenomena: alpenglow is an intensely colored light that can occur near mountains, caused by contrasting temperatures in the air. Kovachevich evoked this effect by pinning strips of packaging tape and ribbon in neat vertical rows—the tape morphs with the atmosphere of the room, curling at the edges when dry. Improvisation is a key factor in Kovachevich’s practice that has also yielded sculptures of painted, baked, and melted plastic and canvases collaged with packaging materials.