Art
review: Artist examines interior of homes
in works
Courtesy
of UAM/Bob Knox
By
Thuy Chu
On-line Forty-Niner
Bob
Knox's paintings often depict the interior
of houses. From the perfect patio of a
suburban home, to an immaculate kitchen
with not a piece out of place, everything
is perfect. In fact it's too perfect.
Looking at a Bob Knox's painting, a feeling
of something lurking behind the frame
overwhelms the senses, as if there's more
to the story than what is conveyed on
the canvas.
Twenty-two
of Knox's works over the past eight years
are on display in an exhibit entitled
"Bob Knox: Non-Fiction Paintings"
at the University Art Museum. This
will mark the New York artist's first
solo exhibition on the West Coast. Before
becoming a painter, Knox worked as an
illustrator for "The New Yorker,"
and his works have also often been featured
on the cover of the magazine.
Knox's
paintings can be categorized into three
bodies of work, said Mary-Kay Lombino,
curator of exhibitions at the museum on
campus.
"The work which is all about the
interiors, the pictures which depict the
city either the cityscapes or more abstract
city light images, and then some completely
abstract work, which just deal with the
light," Lombino said.
All
of Knox's paintings are derived from photographs
from design magazines from the 1950s and
1960s, as well as old books and contemporary
newspapers. He chooses photographs
to paint based on the image and whether
they serve more than one purpose.
"I
like [photography] when it's not totally
realistic," photographs that "serve
as a real image and an abstract image,"
Knox said/
He
has also admitted to choosing photographs
based on patterns.
"The
first thing he depicts is the pattern,
and the rest of the picture kind of falls
into the rest of the composition,"
Lombino said.
Besides
the use of patterns in his paintings,
Knox's paintings are also known for their
more sinister side. One of the paintings
featured is of a patio with the doors
wide open, and a view of the living room
through the glass wall. On first glance,
the painting seems harmless, but with
the title, "The Abduction,"
the painting suddenly takes on a different
meaning.
Lombino
points out to the "very direct, realist
painting" that these paintings exemplify,
but also noted that the titles of the
paintings reveal a hidden context.
"Suddenly
when you read the title and you discover
that everything is not so perfect,"
she said.
The
decision to showcase Knox's artwork stemmed
from the fact that three of his pieces
are owned by the museum, including "Ground
Zero," "Summer in Rye"
and "Bel Air."
"We
try to highlight works from our collection,"
Lombino said. "His work is
very diverse, and for people to understand
the work we would really like to have
the whole show."
EVENTS
LISTING
What:
"Bob Knox: Non-Fiction Paintings"
When: Now through December 14
Where: University Art Museum, located
in the Steve and Nini Horn Center 1250
Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA
Information: 562-985-5761
