Although based in the high desert of New Mexico, artist Mark Beck travels from coast to coast photographing and painting the landscapes that inspire him. His compositions are well thought out and pleasing to the eye, often including seaside homes that employ simple geometric shapes and blocks of color, set against blue backdrops of ocean and sky. 
Wash Day (detail), oil on canvas, 48 x 108"
“My original interest in painting was focused on the landscapes of the Hudson River School of painting in the 19th century,” says Beck. An upcoming exhibition at George Billis Gallery in New York City showcases a new body of work by Beck, with a few paintings the artist says he’s spent years working on.
“Living in the high desert of New Mexico has taught me about light and informed my paintings with a depth of solitude and tranquility,” Beck says. “The unique cultures here, steeped in history, inspire and fascinate me. I enjoy painting to capture this essence with a beautiful, refined quality, selecting high-quality pigments, canvas, linen and frames as well as using a unique method to apply oil paint to surfaces.” He continues, “Though I was attracted to the style of Hudson River School artists, I was unaware as a teenager of the underpinnings of Manifest Destiny that largely informed their work. From learning and studying this issue and frequently traveling to the coasts to paint and photograph inspiring locations, I have increasingly embedded meaning into my work, ranging from personal to societal American issues.”
Executive Decision, oil on canvas, 60 x 76"
Red White Blue Green, oil and acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36"
Beck’s latest body of work, Allegory, is a discussion on what our country is built upon, as well as a reflection of his desire to expose the many subtexts embedded within American culture. The exhibition runs October 1 to November 2.
George Billis Gallery 525 W. 26th Street, Ground Floor • New York, NY 10001 • (212) 645-2621 • www.georgebillis.com
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