ALLEN COX

I've always been a visual person. As a kid I was fascinated by pictures- all kinds of pictures. I marveled at how they were made and wanted to make my own. I've been lucky enough to consistently pursue that passion throughout the course of my life.

I've been painting and showing the results professionally since 1982. My paintings grow out of 20^th century abstraction but also reflect my training as an archaeologist, examining and decoding the past in an effort to inform the future.

I work primarily with a cold wax medium combined with oils and occasionally other media such as marble dust, charcoal, graphite and gold leaf.

My studio practice relies on intuitive improvisation. Compositions are constantly edited and redirected. The image I finish on generally isn't the same one I started with. As a rule, I rarely know in advance where any painting is going to take me... but I have full confidence that I'll get there with it.

I hold a BFA and an MFA in Painting from the University of Oregon where I focused on abstraction. I studied art history extensively and also acquired a degree in Archaeology along the way. I worked in Oregon as a field archaeologist and a scientific illustrator for over 10 years, an experience which profoundly influenced my art. In the end, I've managed to combine all of these interests into my painting.

As a contemporary abstract painter I've shown my work in galleries and museums across the US and in New Zealand. I'm currently represented by Jorge Mendez Gallery in Palm Springs, Patricia Rovzar Gallery, Seattle WA, Bennett Galleries, Knoxville TN and City Arts Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand.

For the most part, I've been represented by galleries on the West Coast, in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and particularly, Southern California at Gail Harvey Gallery at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica; William Merrill Gallery in Laguna Beach and Imago Galleries in Palm Desert from 1995 to 2005. My work is found in numerous public, corporate and private collections.

My paintings have been featured in the books New American Paintings: Artists of the West, and 100 Artists of the West Coast. Oregon Public Broadcasting interviewed me in my studio for a video segment on Oregon Art Beat. My work has also appeared in design journals such as Nashville Living, Oregon Home, New England Home, Traditional Home and LUXE Magazine among others. My paintings have been used as book and CD covers and appeared in film and television productions.