All About You...Emily Bennett Beck

Now for some q & a goodness from Emily Bennett Beck, Untitled 8 artist:

1. What is your first art related childhood memory?
I had the fortune to attend an after school art club in the 5th grade. My art teacher, Ms. Schmidt, had all these wonderful art posters for us to leaf through and I found this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkie_(Lawrence_painting), stared at it, put it away, and began a painting of it back at my desk. When I was done with my painting, went back to the stack of art posters and when I flipped to the real ‘Pinkie,’ I felt as though I could literally feel the wind blowing and the ocean roaring at me. I was SO ashamed of my own work. My work felt dead in comparison.

2. As an artist, who is your biggest influence?
All the fabulous contemporary figurative painters of course; John Currin, Elizabeth Peyton, Lisa Yuskavage and Dawn Mellors, to name a few. The pre-raphelites continue to amaze me, and Sargent and Whistler. I am influenced by so many artists- it’s hard to name them all.

3. What did you listen to in the studio while creating this show?
I rely on Pandora quite a lot… I’ve been listening to a lot of George Micheal and 80s romantic pop ballads this year. I’ve been trying to channel lots of teen angst.

4. Name three unexpected items one would find in your studio. I have lots of old ‘How to Paint’ magazines and books from the 1960s. They’re very instructive.

5. What is your least favorite famous work of art?
I can’t come up with an answer for this one…. I’m stumped.

6. What art do you have hanging on your walls?
Lots of paintings by my late grandmother in-law Phyllis Beck, and lots of work from fellow artist friends.

7. What are you working on now?
Several series at once. Gouache paintings, digital paintings. Some of my new work deals with the desperations of youth, and some with the desperations of middle age.

8. What will the title of your retrospective at MOMA be?
Probably something campy like, “Painted Ladies.”

Thanks Emily!

To see more of Emily's work visit HERE.
Untitled 8 is up through August 21st.