McArthur Binion

A self-described “Rural Modernist,” McArthur Binion has produced unconventional, deeply autobiographical abstract compositions for the last 40 years. He has described his work as beginning “at the crossroads—at the intersection of Bebop improvisation and Abstract Expressionism.” Foregoing brushes and paint, Binion uses oil stick, crayon, and, more recently, laser-printed images to create his lushly textured and colored, geometrically patterned works. Modernist master such as Wilfredo Lam, Piet Mondrian, and Kasimir Malevich influence his work, as does Binion’s own Southern African-American heritage, reflected in his mother’s quilts, West African textiles, and the rhythms of black music, language, and literature. Labor and simplicity ground Binion’s practice and his laconic, richly personal compositions.