Post No Bills

Galleri Benoni

26 February - 26 March 2016

Scavenging cities in search of the sublime though discovering it in the grittiest of places, the abstract paintings of Steven Cox showcase a formalist approach of deconstructing lowbrow exterior surfaces. By examining the guerrilla act of fly posting and the connected removal of illegally placed posters, Cox’s paintings are gradually formed through reenacting this application-and-removal of material. 

In his studio, Cox paints directly onto large plastic sheets and transfers his paint onto the canvas surface in a rough and imperfect mono printing like manner. Gradually building up layers, his paintings evolve to feature subtle lines and crevices reminiscent of paper like rips and rocky textures akin to harling walls. His abstractions successfully blur the boundary between the found and fabricated, simultaneously questioning the aesthetic crossover between natural decay and constructed decomposition. 

Post No Bills highlights not only the painterly qualities of autonomous surfaces commonly found within urban city environments, but also aims to eliminate the distinction between discovered or constructed abstractions. Cox’s additive and constructed approach to painting involves a thorough investigation into materiality, encouraging the viewer to question both their relationship to the environment and perspective of lowbrow architectural surfaces.