John Beech from The Collection
Saturday, February 7 - Sunday, April 4, 2004

John Beech is an artist who has captured international attention in both solo and group exhibitions. Well represented in both public and private collections throughout the United States, many of his works were recently acquired by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. He converts manufactured goods into formal, aesthetic objects, calling himself "the everyday reductionist." His recycled materials and minimal aesthetic recall the work of artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Donald Judd, also represented in the Gallery's permanent collection. According to Beech, "the work occupies the space where painting and sculpture meet," and it has indeed furthered the accomplishments of mid-twentieth-century artists, expanding the value of found materials in the twenty-first century. He not only pays attention to the front surface of an object, but considers the form in its entirety, often with irony and humor.