“My paintings represent an interest I have in the traditional image of the United States - particularly the notion of the ‘American Dream’ and how we go about finding it or losing it. I am inspired by this long held American notion along with a more sober perspective of present-day America: a country that often appears lost, searching and in opposition to its founding principals. I try to make beautiful paintings which convey in a subtle way certain glorifications or realities of our life in America. I admire the works of Flannery O’Connor, Charles Burchfield, Walker Evans, Edward Hopper, Robert Cottingham and others who, in my opinion, succeed at interpreting commonplace American objects and people that can sometimes be overlooked. These artists have greatly influenced my paintings and through my work I attempt to create with their same honesty by illuminating certain American conditions. I am particularly interested in the simple forms of older American buildings and the universal symbol of a home. In painting, a home is a point of departure for me. It is a vehicle to express serenity, belonging, rootedness, a sad memory or even a self made prison.”
	Born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Beck studied at the Portland School of Art in Maine. For four years Beck worked teaching inmates to paint at the maximum security prison The California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. “I’ve always credited that experience with being a continuing and fascinating source of inspiration for my paintings,” said Beck. “Many aspects of the prison system and the people incarcerated there can teach us a lot about our life here in America.”
	M a r k   B e c k
	phone 505. 342.9000 Albuquerque, New Mexico http://www.markbeckpainting.com