Tim Cavnar / Joseph Steininger

Tim Cavar and Joseph Steininger are both challenged by the interplay of urban forms and infrastructure in Seattle’s built environment, though they approach their work very differently.

Incorporating subtle shading and almost monochromatic coloring, Cavnar’s meticulously painted houses, buildings, and cars in various stages of creation represent iconic portraits we normally acknowledge only in passing. Partially finished buildings rendered in subtle shades appear ghostly, as if they are mere apparitions on the horizon.

Using intricately detailed and hand-cut stencils applied with spray paint, Steininger’s work is influenced by street art culture and printmaking. His art captures the dynamic interplay between city life and the environment, emphasizing color and capturing moments.

Often overlooked as a tool for fine art, spray paint becomes something entirely new in Steininger’s hands. His work challenges traditional boundaries, blending the rebellious spirit of street art and the craftsmanship of printmaking. The result: striking, multi-layered pieces that are both visually dynamic and conceptually rich.

Cavnar has shown his work extensively in New Orleans, and began showing regionally when he moved to Seattle in 2022. Steininger has exhibited both regionally and in New York City.

“I’m looking for the hidden skeleton of our world, seen briefly in the exposed beams of a future high-rise, or the craggy roots of an old-growth carcass. We forget those scenes, maybe because they’re not worth remembering. Soon the building will be built, the house knocked down, the stump left to rot. But I want you to remember. These moments of time mark our passing through the world.” – Tim Cavnar

Join us in experiencing two remarkably contrasting takes on the same built environment.