In 1967, Stephenson embarked upon a series of twelve dioramas, each consisting of two square canvases covered in small colored dots, in which the same image is repeated as if through an inverted mirror. Stephenson saw himself within a long tradition of British painting, comparing his use of white dots in these dioramas to those of John Constable (1776–1837) in his landscapes. He was deeply inspired by the Romantic nature poets, and the sublime beauty of his work reflects these continuities and an attachment to nature and concern for beauty. In the 1970s he taught at the Chelsea School of Art, where his students included Christopher Le Brun (whose work is shown nearby). Gallery label for Love, Life, Death, and Desire: An Installation of the Center's Collections (Yale Center for British Art, 2020-11-01 – 2021-02-28)
