Andrew Beck's work occupies a space between conventional painting and photography, both in terms of its construction and the objects themselves. Utilising camera-less photography (photograms) along with paintings and objects, he creates two- and three-dimensional works around concerns of space and light (or rather indexical signs thereof).
Read MoreMoreover, the image-objects that Beck creates are not straight representations of light play. Often what we see in his work are embellishments — things or moments that would otherwise be physical impossibilities. In his work we see three-dimensional space is treated as if it were two-dimensional, through the use of forced or isometric perspectives (as a would-be inversion of photography); or light refracting in a manner ornate and wholly unnatural — perhaps as a way to articulate a passage of time in static form, or to show light as something solid, something jewel-like.
Beck graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Wellington in 2011. Since graduating his work has been shown in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, China and Japan. Exhibition highlights include major exhibitions such as Emanations: The Art of Cameraless Photography (curated by Geoffrey Batchen), Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, The Devil's Blind Spot, Christchurch Art Gallery and The Specious Present (curated by Tina Barton), Adam Art Gallery, Wellington. Beck continues to exhibit widely in New Zealand and overseas and his works are held in major public and private collections both nationally and internationally. In November 2019 he was awarded an artist-in-residence at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Miami, Florida.
Text courtesy Nadene Milne Gallery.
