Rick Beck at work grinding a piece at his studio in Penland, North Carolina.
GLASS: What are you working on?
Rick Beck: I’ve been working on a series of figurative works, both abstracted and exaggerated. In the photo, I’m grinding a crowned figure that is made up of seven components. I’ve become interested in conveying different states of repose or decline. It’s a discussion of the state of rule (or royalty).
GLASS: What have you seen recently that inspired you?
Rick: My wife, Valerie, got me a book by Yve-Alain Bois about the competitive relationship between Picasso and Matisse. Their artistic dialogue about the figure has fired my imagination, especially the way they shared and borrowed images and ideas from one another, as well as from history and literature. Between this book, and some recent visits to the Art Institute of Chicago, I’ve been inspired by the use of shape, form, and mass to create something more universal than the literal subject.
Rick Beck, Reclining Monarch, 2009. Cast Glass. H 66, W 42, D 15 in.
GLASS: Where is it possible to see your work on exhibit?
Rick: I’ve got an exhibition at Habatat Galleries in Tysons Corner, Virginia that opens July 23 and runs until September 12, 2009. On September 26, I have an opening at Habatat Galleries in Royal Oaks, Michigan. And then I’ll have an exhibition in Chicago at Marx-Saunders in Spring 2010.