n this series of medium sized oil paintings Hicks depicts street corners exploded in a wide angled search for light and form. The results offer surprising juxtapositions. His background as a practicing architect is apparent in his concern for a complex and original viewpoint. The work reveals a poetic grasp of unusual urban settings. Working strictly onsite, his paint handling is direct and physical while his observation is intense and rigorous. In Art in America, Geritt Henry wrote: “Hicks’ is a style without pretense, posturing or prettification. Painting reality to this artist seems to be as natural as fixing cars to other guys. Hicks has a gift for bringing things to painterly life. He bears watching.”

• Resume: Steve Hicks