Joe Cox (American, 1915-1997), Split Yellow

Watercolor on paper, 1974, signed and dated "Joe Cox '74" at lower right, matted and framed under glass.

Sight size 16 x 22 1/2 in.; Frame dimensions 25 1/2 x 32 in.

Ex Collection Central Carolina Bank
Private Collection, North Carolina

Joe Cox was an influential North Carolina artist and educator known for his paintings and large-scale murals. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Cox studied at the John Herron Art School and the University of Iowa. He began exhibiting nationally early in his career, participating in the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco and the 1941 Carnegie International. During the New Deal era, he received federal support to create murals for two United States post offices.

After teaching at universities in Iowa, Florida, and Tennessee, Cox joined the faculty of the North Carolina State University School of Design, where he spent the majority of his career and became an important figure in North Carolina's artistic and educational community. Working in oil, watercolor, and acrylic, he was particularly known for urban landscapes, and his paintings and murals entered numerous museum and corporate collections throughout the United States. Cox also developed a strong connection to coastal North Carolina after discovering Oriental in the 1950s, where his enthusiasm for sailing led him to become a founding member of the Neuse Sailing Association.

Small spot of foxing in lower left corner; not examined out of the frame.