Michael Beck “Notes to Self” New Paintings at Lora Schlesinger Gallery

"The objects I choose are ordinary, out of use, out-dated remnants of our culture. I like to think of them as archaeological finds. Their oddness is meant to create a sense of confusion or question. A person finding a never-before-seen object on an archaeological dig might feel that same sensation. Each object is presented straight on, forcing the viewer to consider it alone. Isolated in the painting, the objects have no other reference but themselves. And yet they can conjure up references beyond their own experience. They invite flights of fantasy, stories designed by the individual viewer. These stories are the biographies that I try to elicit from the viewer, hoping they gain a new insight about what an object is, or how it can been seen."