McArthur Binion (American, b. 1946) "DNA Etching III"

Provenance Note: Charles E. Balbach (1934-2024) was a respected Western New York civic leader, arts patron, and dedicated collector whose leadership left a lasting mark on the region’s cultural institutions. A graduate of Harvard University, Balbach combined intellectual rigor with a deep commitment to public service and philanthropy. He served for more than two decades on the board of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery), including a term as President of the Board. During his tenure, he helped guide long-range planning initiatives and strengthen institutional stewardship at a pivotal moment in the museum’s evolution. A thoughtful and disciplined collector, Balbach believed strongly in public access to art and in the responsibility of collectors to support the institutions that sustain cultural life. His legacy reflects a lifetime of civic engagement, connoisseurship, and enduring dedication to the arts.

McArthur Binion (American, b. 1946)
McArthur Binion is an American artist known for mixed-media abstract paintings that merge Minimalist structures with personal identity, often incorporating grids, hand-drawn lines, and photocopies of his own birth certificate. Born in Macon, Mississippi, and raised in Detroit, he earned a BFA from Wayne State University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art before becoming part of New York’s downtown art scene and later relocating to Chicago. His work gained renewed international recognition when he represented the United States at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, and is now held in major museum collections nationwide.