Photography by David Moog, Courtesy of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, New York

Michael J. Beam Artwork Archive 1995—Current

Trilogies XXXIII The Work of Three Artists Michael Beam Wolves of the Night *

2022

Trilogies XXXIII The Work of Three Artists Michael Beam Wolves of the Night * 2022

Past Meets Present Each of Beam’s exhibitions, like great novels, have many characters and several sub-plots. Reflecting on his previous exhibitions and, in particular, his altruistic artistic statements, the artist has found that many of his perceptions and sensibilities continue to ring true and deserve reiteration–his Claircognizance (I) is omnipresent.

In this exhibition we explore—Never Nothing,What Matters Most, Calculated Risk, and Low-Brow Inventiveness

The epic adventure continues….

The Growlery Selected works by Michael J. Beam

2019

The Growlery Selected works by Michael J. Beam 2019

(This text was prepared as an afterword to the artist statement found in the 2014 ne plus ultra exhibition catalog and should be read in that context.)

The Journey Darkens Artist-provocateur Michael Beam first presented his work, en masse, to the Western New York community in the Ides of March exhibition, at Wine on Third in Niagara Falls, NY in 2012; and his creative endeavors continued with 2014’s ne plus ultra, A Ten-Year Survey exhibition and performance at Big Orbit Gallery in Buffalo, NY. And now, with a triumphant return to Wine on Third, the journey darkens with his next artistic presentation—The Growlery.

ne plus ultra A Ten Year Survey

2014

ne plus ultra A Ten Year Survey 2014

ne plus ultra An occasion for an artist to present a significant and defining body of work, spanning several years, is a momentous opportunity. In Latin, ne plus ultra literally means 'not further beyond' and was the inscription on the Pillars of Hercules prohibiting passage by ships through the Strait of Gibraltar and into the unknown.

Consisting of examples of my work from noteworthy private collections, amplified with a body of new works; this exhibition represents the pinnacle of this period of my artistic development and thereby marks a noteworthy and quantifiable point in my career. Ne plus ultra is a presentation of my creative efforts and artistic achievements of the past decade.

Accumulation of Materials Taken from Here to There * January 2007 - 2013

Michael Beam The Ides of March

2012

Michael Beam The Ides of March 2012

How do artists use irony, goofiness, satire and sarcasm in their work?

Never—Nothing My work offers a sense of possibility—a belief in the character of objects and their cause for reinterpretation. Every work springs from self-analysis; a representation of who I am, what I want and, perhaps, what I fear. Everything means something or two things but never—nothing. My works are born from images and objects; many of which have been discarded or reduced to flea-market fodder…but I am not dwelling too much on it. It’s the end of a chapter.

Peep Show 2013

Co•gno• scen• te* from The Man Quilt Series, 1997-1999

Ruber (Rot) ≈ Conserve (Conserve)—Obscured Dissimilar Similarities 2012 +

Works 2003-2012

Works Before 2003