Martin Beck: pal*imp*sest: bearing traces of earlier forms

Capturing the immediacy of the model's presence maintains a connection to an empirical reality at a time when media intrusion can be overwhelming. By working from life, the model and artist reveal the truth of a specific time, place and act. This cannot be faked; the finished work is a direct artifact of past activity. Rather than think of these as pictures of people, for me these are authentic depictions of selective experiences. They stand for something real, timeless and human. 

The nude expresses the human condition because our bodies are road maps of our individual experience. To study another's face and form is to understand their essential humanity, their frailty and imperfection. When studying anyone with the level of intensity my kind of figurative work requires, you see their beauty and strength as well.

My art engages the viewer to confront the immediacy of the human condition. It reminds them of their humanity at a time when digital life threatens to consume us. My work has been described as having a quality of urgency. I appreciate that word as there is an urgent need to know and understand each other as technology creates more distance between us.