Mixed media artist Steve Banks’ latest exhibition, Citizen Beige, is on display at the Aurora Public Art’s 3rd floor gallery in Aurora, IL through Sept 16, 2023.
Featuring numerous large-scale “painted constructions,” hand-carved frames from found wood, and free-standing sculptures, the artist employs pop culture references to explore the serious legacy of housing discrimination in Levittown, NY.
Listen to the conversation here with Quad City native Steve Banks about how humor can be used to effectively deliver a message about culture and identity; the creation of multi-panel pieces for this exhibition which he likens to a symphonic suite with different movements; and the studio space and artistic community that he has developed in Davenport, IA.
Aurora Public Art is located at 20 E. Downer Place in Aurora, IL. Gallery hours are Wed-Fri 12-4pm and Sat 10am-4pm. Admission is free of charge.
Steve will deliver an artist talk at the closing reception at 2pm on Sept 16, 2023. A collectible exhibition catalog will also be available at this final event.
You can learn more about the artist’s creative process on his blog or follow him on Instagram.
