Adam Beebe

Adam Beebe’s crude, almost cartoonish oils and violently distorted self-portraits on paper are filled with spontaneity and overpowering emotion. Applied in a impasto of oil paint and poxed with scraps of paper, items from nature and miscellaneous junk, Beebeís paintings seem to be an extension of his stream-of-consciousness self-portraits. Heavy outlines and flat planes of vibrant yet sickly colors describe primitive scenes or sarcastic visual jokes. Visually influenced by Expressionists such as Schiele and Klimt, in addition to others ranging from Francis Bacon to Byzantine iconographers, Beebeís subject matter generally consists of extremely stylized, quasi-human figures and slightly more figurative (though still flat and heavily outlined) portraits. This spontaneous imagery expresses simple emotional states between the intense figures and the bleak environments they inhabit.

Adam recently returned to the Bay area from New York, where he participated in several exhibitions in Soho and Williamsburg as well as showing in various alternative spaces where his work received much acclaim. Since returning, he has been in numerous local shows including Suicide Notes, a solo exhibition of self-portraits and collaborated with photographer Michael Garlington on the Sixth Street series.