McArthur Binion

American artist McArthur Binion has spent forty years creating uniquely autobiographical abstractions that blur the lines between Modernism, Abstract Expressionism and improvisation. Influenced by his Mississippi upbringing and African American identify, Binion’s minimalist compositions incorporate various materials including crayons, oil stick, and ink. Often etched into unyielding surfaces such as aluminum and wood, each piece pulls patterns and shapes from Binion’s identification cards, family photos, address books and traditional quilting patterns. Monochromatic, obsessively crafted and deeply personal, Binion’s pieces simultaneously connect to a legacy of modern mark-making and historical roots of the Deep South.

Based in Chicago for the majority of his career, Binion has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO, The College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Studio Museum, New York, NY, The University of Maryland, George N’Namdi Gallery, Chicago, Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, Comue di Milano, Milan, Italy, The Detroit Institute of Art, and Artists Space, New York, among others.