Press

“Phil Binaco…creates off-white abstractions out of wax and resin. He meticulously inscribes the thick, smooth surfaces with fine parallel lines to create flickering textures and simple rectilinear compositions. These handsome material objects are animated by a hint of spiritual luminosity.” — Johnson, from the New York Times.

“Binaco’s [work] constructs function as a diagram of infinite flow and energy and picture the drift and creak of the universe: a cosmic mirroring. Peering into them, their constellated surfaces might yield their ambiguous depths, their indeterminate spatiality — or they may not — depending upon external circumstances. As the different aspects of Binaco’s monochromes are activated by the different qualities of light they encounter, they are constantly re-charged, like water, sky, weather.” — Lily Wei, New York, from show catalog | Link to catalog

“Rather than producing images to take in at a glance, designed for an Instagram, say, Binaco produces mysteries that prompt us to explore. We become archaeologists, working down through the layers; at the same time, the paintings are light traps, emitting signals from their depths. Colors shift as you move from side to side, or as natural light gradually spreads over the surface. Like Pat Stier’s famous waterfall paintings, Binaco’s abstract images seem responsive to gravity. They pull the eye downward, even as one might imagine light spots floating up from the depths. So Binaco’s paintings move and expand; they capture energy. But their rigorous, repetitive, regular composition — reminiscent of Agnes Martin — holds them together.” — Arden Reed, from “Phil Binaco’s Art of Slowness”

“There are times when the idea of beauty can be synonymous with mystery. This thought comes to mind regarding Binaco’s paintings; each square canvas is a variation on the theme of light and shade in which the shade is inflected with the faintest of darkness. Within the alchemy of translucent wax, resin, and crisp incisions that mark the surface of this work, lies the clue to its content. That content is light itself, intangibly captured within the work’s thick surface.” — Lily Faust, The New York Art World

“The artist, responding to the image of an inner rising flame and the power of art to prevail against political dysfunction, has created a series of encaustic paintings of great aesthetic beauty and immense subtlety. ” — from T.H.E. Magazine

“The residue and shadows of this arduous process invite the viewer on a meditative journey into a softly modulating realm of light and shadow, order and flux.” — Peter Kalb, Art in America

“Presence is a slippery thing. This is a basic mystery of life…It’s also another reason why Phil Binaco’s austere paintings are refreshing. They vibrate sincerely and serenely.” — Jon Carver, The Santa Fe Reporter