YOU/ME/US

Pamela Beach
On view:
July 29 – September 10
Reception: Friday July 29, 2022 6:00-8:00 PM
Humans are 99.99% genetically identical. We each only vary from each other by .01%. I paint people because of both of those numbers. I am fascinated by how we can all have such individual and specific circumstances, yet how that can thread into something common with all the rest of humanity.

I seek expression of that in life which is only felt. What goes on in the heart and mind is where the real transformations in life take place, and therein lies the place that I strive to give visual representation to, through my paintings. Through the work I seek representation that is both realistic and abstract, both visually and theoretically. Within each piece is a realistic figure going through an abstract process. We live, we pause, we assess, we redefine. We keep, we discard, we change, we stand still. When we look at the whole of our lives, some parts make sense, and some don’t. Some are solid, and well defined. Some remain confusing and murky.  I offer to the world art that shows reverence and respect for human experience. My work is about connection, respect for story, and dignity of each individual. Documenting real people that exist is critical to the moving experience of my work.

I don’t offer a polished and pretty version of humanity, nor a gloomy and invasive one; I offer questions – “What similarities do I have with this human? What differences? What connection? How can I be a better human? How can I listen better? What can I learn from this person?”.

My work is in a sense a collaboration – I listen to people, and they hand me paintings. People want to be heard, they want connection. I invite you into the stories of my sitters. To find them, and to also find yourself.