In our series The Zealous Set, we talk to the artists catching our attention about what they’re creating, watching, reading, and what they’re currently inspired by.
This week, we speak with Brooklyn-based mixed media artist Paige Beeber about her “kitchen sink” approach to art-making, how IG helped her create a community during lockdowns and her new show at Freight+Volume New York.
AZ: You incorporate oil paints, acrylic, inks, dyes, spray paints and various other media fastidiously collected and methodically applied to canvas, linen, or muslin, a self-proclaimed “kitchen sink” approach. How did this process develop and come about?
PB: I never want to limit the intent of my work by narrowing down the materials I should use in a piece. If a painting’s focus demands that I use a red oil stick, who am I to argue? Each medium provides a new set of challenges and a different level of finesse which keeps my mind aware of the moment.
Your show at Freight+Volume focuses on work you’ve made on lockdown and throughout the pandemic. Can you walk us through the process of creating at a time like this?
So much has happened in the past year and I discovered everyone has a different way of coping with what was going on. I found my peace making work which started in March as small works on paper made on a tiny table at home. In May, I felt confident enough to return to the studio but found the transition back took an emotional toll. It took a long while to paint again while figuring out how to travel and be back at the studio safely. I had to relearn how to function in a public space and adapt to how that was affecting my art making practice. Once these changes became the norm, the work began to flow again and soon picked up to fervent pace.
Color is a large part of deciphering your work, the show’s title, “Farbe ” is german for color, describe why it’s so important.
“Farbe” is German for color but more specifically refers to color in visual arts. For example, it can also refer to “Paint, ink, shade, dye, or hue”. As you mentioned, color is a huge part of my work and I wanted it to be front and present in the title of the show.
Tell us more about your inspirations.
My inspiration comes from powerful women and artists in my family. Textile patterns in the work pay homage to past generations of my family who have handed down their skills from generation to generation. Whether there was a new addition to the family or a loss, my family created to preserve that memory.
How are you staying connected with other artists and creatives these days?
In March, when we were asked to stay indoors, I started an Instagram account called @ItsaGiph(y)t which asked artists to recreate their work using only the tools and gifs that Instagram had to offer. I enjoyed reaching out to artists I knew and some I found by coincidence and presenting this idea to them. Once an artist created a Gif of their work, I’d follow up with a few questions and post the results on the IG account. Since that time, I’ve followed up with artists I know by doing Facetime studio visits.
What are you listening to, reading or binge-watching at the moment?
I listen to a lot of podcasts on my morning walks. I was also given the book “Day Book” by Anne Truitt. It’s a book I recommend to all artists struggling with your own limitations in the studio.
What do you have on the horizon in terms of new works, projects and collaborations, or otherwise?
After the current show at Freight+Volume closes, my plans are to get back in the studio and continue this process. My studio practice is in a good place and I’d like to see where the work evolves.
Check out Paige’s show Farbe up now through Feb 21 at Freight+Volume in New York. Viewing by appointment only.
