“Here and Now,” a solo exhibit of new paintings by Bucks County-based artist Robert Beck, opens Saturday, September 14, at the Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell.
Two opening receptions are scheduled: Friday, September 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, September 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. The show remains on view through Sunday, October 6.
Beck, a pivotal figure and a leading voice in Bucks County art and cultural heritage, continues to explore the substance of contemporary life through his iconic and expressive oil paintings. His narrative-driven pieces, capturing unique but ever-present moments, have garnered Beck solo exhibits at three major museums, most recently the Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
“Here And Now” provides an intimate glimpse into Beck’s celebrated artistic journey, featuring a diverse range of studio images and works from life, capturing the overlooked but deeply significant, in images that resonate with authenticity and introspection.
Beck’s subject matter spans locales, from the Delaware Valley and New York City to the rugged maritime villages of upper Maine. “Here and Now” also showcases a selection from Beck’s latest focus on New York life, highlighting cultural snapshots of Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Notably, the exhibition includes the gallery debut of two significant works recently returned from museum exhibits: “Thicket,” which was selected for this year’s Woodmere Open, and “December Scallops,” featured in the American Society of Marine Artists National Exhibition.
Beck states: “I’m describing things of our time. The images are based on our common experience. The paintings aren’t just me; they are us. In my work from life, I try to locate the heart of an encounter and describe what it’s like to be there. The studio paintings are freed from those confines and fed by imagination and experience. There is a bit of call-and-response to it, establishing a dialogue with the observer.”
“You know right away they are Robert’s paintings,” says gallery owner Ruth Morpeth, who first showed Beck in 1997. “They have always connected with people, and each exhibition reveals an expansion of depth and eloquence. The images are engaging and deftly painted. They mean something.”
Here and Now, Morpeth Contemporary, 43 West Broad Street, Hopewell. On view September 14 through October 6. Receptions Friday, September 13, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, September 14, 1 to 3 p.m. Gallery open Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 609-333-9393 or www.morpethcontemporary.com.
Learn more about Robert Beck at RobertBeck.net.
