New York–based abstractionist Ethan Cook has carved out his own lane in the world of painting by creating minimalist works on handwoven canvases, which the artist weaves himself using a four-harness floor loom. Cook invokes different art-historical periods by using a form as ancient as weaving to craft compositions that recall the iconic color-blocked paintings by artists like Mark Rothko, Peter Halley, and even Kasimir Malevich. By placing the emphasis on the handwoven qualities of the work, Cook challenges the viewer to focus on the tactility of the paintings’ surfaces, shifting the gaze from the subject to the process. In a recent body of work, Cook created works of art by making his own canvases from pre-dyed cotton, crafting compositions that entirely forgo the need for paint. “I wanted to take the painting out of painting and put the color into the fabric, which led me to making the canvas,” he told Architectural Digest. “My work is about exploring the flatness and physicality of the canvas.”