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Mark Beam
Tel: 562-431-9656
markbeam@adelphia.net
www.markbeam.com
“I grew up in Detroit and when I was nineteen I moved to California where I worked at a bunch of jobs I hated - corporate jobs and graphic design departments and stuff like that. I knew I didn't belong there. Eventually I was forced to lead the life I wanted to lead. I was wenty-six, unemployed, and I thought I was destined for the skids. One day I made this papier mache fish just for the hell of it. This girl came over and said, "How much do you want for that fish?" I said, "150 dollars," just off the top of my head. She bought it. So I made four more fish, and I walked into a place called By Design (a really nice store that sold really cool home furnishings) and I noticed they only had posters on the wall. They were nice posters. I figured they might like something else, so I went in with this big fish that I just made. I looked like shit -- I had been working all day, but the manager happened to be there, and he loved the fish. He bought four of them from me that day, and he gave me a thousand dollars. My life as an artist was on…
A short time after, I was dating a girl who was an interpreter, and she brought this Japanese guy by my house one day. Didn't speak much English, but he liked my artwork a lot. About a year later, the guy calls me up and asks me if I want to do some work for a company called Takashima in Osaka, Japan. They were prepared to pay me what was an outrageous amount of money -- at the time; like twenty-five thousand dollars for four images. It was great! I got to go to Japan and hang out with their artists. It was a great experience.
My imagery leans toward the lighter side, and I like the element of surprise. I've gotten into materials and surfaces and color and things that are more "art technique," but as far as imagery goes -- it's the element of humor and surprise that I'm attracted to.”
EXHIBITIONS
Copro/Nasson Gallery, Los Angeles (group) **** A Gallery, Palm Desert, CA (group)
Gallerie Periwinkle, Mill Valley **** La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles (group)
ACME Fine Art, San Francisco (group) **** Track 16, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA (group)
Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA (grp) **** Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, CA
South Bay Contemporary Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA (group)
Takashimiya Exhibitions, Osaka, Japan (solo)
Schwartz/Cierlak Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (group)
Suzanne Brown Contemporary Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ (solo)
Ivey Gallery, Los Angeles (group) **** Taylor/Gratzer Gallery, L.A. (group)
Sherwood gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (group) **** Craft & Folk Art Museum, L.A. (group)
PUBLIC ART
Public Corporation for the Arts, Long Beach. (Smithsonian Public Art Program)
COLLECTIONS
Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. **** K.C. Parishath Art Museum, Bangalore, India
LACMA -Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.91.152) **** Spago Restaurant
Universal Studios **** NBC Television **** Mr & Mrs Frank Zappa **** Overseas Film Group
Mr & Mrs J. Quinn – Turner Broadcast Network **** Ms. Carrie Fisher **** Mr. Peter Gabriel
Ms. Sally Kellerman **** Mr & Mrs Sid Sheinberg **** Mr Robin Leach
Mr & Mrs David Steinberg **** Ms. Penny Marshall **** Mr & Mrs B. Setzer
Ms. Danielle Steele **** Mr Jeffrey Gniewek **** Mr. Tom Patchett
Mr. Loudon Wainwright **** Lone Gone John **** Mr & Mrs David Allen
Mr & Mrs Steve Oedekerk
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* None of the artworks may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Artist