CHARLESTON, SC.- Corrigan Gallery presents the first Charleston solo show of works by Judy Hintz Cox beginning March 5 and running to the 31st with a reception on March 7 as part of the French Quarter Gallery Association Artwalk. Located in the heart of downtown Charleston at 62 Queen Street, the gallery presents “The Tao of Stillness.” Cox moved to Charleston almost three years ago.

Judy Cox has been painting for well over 30 years and shows across the country. She began painting in South America after serving in the Peace Corps with her first shows being in Peru and Brazil. She returned to school to gain a degree in studio arts from the University of Maryland. Her influences have been many but DeKooning and Rothko are standouts. Her abstract works are minimalist moments accomplished as she calls it by “a process of claiming and rejecting.” This sounds like a simple description of life, a process perhaps we could all adapt more completely. With oil and encaustic and sometimes a resin top layer, Cox just naturally expresses something about and that touches the human psyche.

As the artist says, “The longer I have worked as an artist, the more I have stripped away form. I have always attempted to give breath to my work and I believe space allows a painting to breathe. My paintings are minimal. The form and color are simplified. The works are reduced to what is essential. I use a lot of white paint which increases space due to its lightness. Most of the forms are painted with black keeping my palette monochromatic. Sometimes I add a splash of another color with the intent of giving the viewer eye movement.

My paintings are about making the painting "work. " There is no deep inner meaning. I place forms within the painting without crowding the space. I wish for my works of art to give the viewer surprises when observing the pieces. The paintings are filled with many undercoats of lines and scrapes that bleed into the final completion of the piece. If there is any meaning it is for the viewer to feel a sense of stillness.

The mediums I use are oil and encaustic. I build up the canvas with multiple layers giving the piece a lot of texture. Though the paintings are minimal, their execution is expressive. I start with pencil drawings. Next, I coat the entire canvas with melted encaustic. I then add white oil paint to a thick encaustic paste and using a great deal of movement, rapidly paint the canvas with large brushes. The forms are painted with thick black paint. These forms are often scraped off. I dig into the canvas giving extra simple lines which will carry the viewer's eye to another section of the piece.”

I live for art and love the quote by Picasso: "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Taking a moment to view creativity whether it is in nature or displayed for a viewer, gives breath to life.”