Buckle up and prepare yourself to go on a wild ride through the mind of Charlie Beech, a truly creative and tall artist from here in Asheville, NC. Sculptures, paintings, you name it and he's probably put his warped psychedelic spin to it. He's like the Willy Wonka of art and we were lucky enough to get to interview him. Read everything after the jump!
Tell us about who you are and what you
do.
My name is Charlie Beech and I’m a
fun guy! If you want a mental image of me just picture a relaxed 6’4
golden retriever with a collection of sassy sunglasses. Seriously
though, I’m a young artist who sculpts, paints, occasionally makes
music, and loves a good party. I like to create within and between
the second, third, and fourth dimensions. Depth, color theory,
ratios, and visual weight are some of my favorite things to
manipulate in paintings and sculptures.
When did you start getting into making art?
I’ve always been into keeping my
hands busy with creative projects, so I can’t remember a clear
starting point. As a kid that meant drawing or learning about using
power tools from my dad. As a teenager I focused on playing music and
learning the recording process while keeping my feet wet in visual
art through photography. Now as a young 20-something I’m painting
and sculpting often, mostly focusing on steel sculptures, lamp
sculptures, and painting with bright colors framed by bold black
outlines. There's no start or end date to my creative process but
rather a long and ever-shifting journey of playing with whatever
medium or technique piques my interest.
What's your favorite part about being
creative?
Setting my own timelines and
independent accountability. I love having the sole responsibility
for the success or failure of a project. Circumstances and emotions
are always changing, and milemarking those feelings through time by
associating them with the art around my house and community is a cool
way to keep a portfolio of my life.
What's one of your favorite pieces
you've done?
The answer to this question changes all
the time! Right now, my proudest piece is the Toppling Steel Cube
sculpture I made a few months ago. It has the right balance of subtle
math and ratios, industrial vs. polished feeling, size, and mind
tricks. Ask me again in a week and I’ll tell you why a different
piece is my favorite at the moment.
Who/what are some of your biggest
inspirations?
Clyfford Still, Andy Davis, James
Turrell, Oliver Hibert, and Dan Flavin to name a few professionals I
look up to. Beach culture like surf rock, rum drinks, or the smell of
sunscreen really get me going. Like flip flops and seagulls and
whatnot. Really though most of my inspiration comes from interacting
with creative friends and environments and talking through wacky
hypothetical creative projects. I live in a very creative house among
two great artists––Wyatt Manlove and Bryce Alberghini. There’s
always creative gears turning somewhere in the house at any given
moment which I think is a positive environment. I also get inspired
by meeting new friendly people! Don’t be afraid to introduce
yourself next time you see me, I don’t bite.
What's some advice you'd give to fellow
artists?
Make your own ripples, don’t wait for
a bigger wave to come along for you to ride. The art scene,
especially here in Asheville, is a seemingly elite and impenetrable
realm of professional artists at first glance. However, there is a
huge amount of amateurs and young people creating ripples of the next
creative uprising. Be a part of that movement. The best inspiration
I’ve felt has come from creative functions that my friends
organize, and almost never from an opening reception at a big name
gallery. It’s our turn to host the creative functions that give
fuel to the Continuum of Making upon which we are all building and
contributing. Put your work out there and don’t be intimidated when
it seems like everyone except for yourself is “making it” in the
scene. This shit is hard and it’s okay if you’re still working
towards finding your personal motivations and message. It takes a
while. Don’t get embarrassed when pieces come out badly. They
occasionally will. Scrap it and keep working. Most importantly have
fun! It’s only life and no one is here for very long. Make the
world a more vibrant place in whatever fashion moves you.
How is your personality reflected in
your work?
I like to think that I have a bright
presence, and so do my paintings. An initial impression of me can be
energetic and bright but as you get to know me there is a lot more
underlying purpose, theory, and intention behind my actions and
beliefs. Positive inspirations or bad impressions from my daily life
play a large part in how I conduct myself. My artwork is no
different. At first impression, my work pops and has an inviting
presence in a space. Upon further measurement and observation my
artwork reveals a very intentional use of color, space, measurements,
and inspiration from others.
Music you've been listening to lately?
My music taste is all over the place
depending on the time of day. At any given moment my “recent
searches” on Spotify has everything from Waylon Jennings to Future
to Black Light Smoke to Guantanamo Baywatch on it.
Favorite place in Asheville to chow down?
Izzy’s Coffee Den! A large coffee
with cream and a quick bagel is my ideal lunch.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks for this awesome opportunity to
rant about myself, and for keeping this blog going. Platforms like
these are an important step in connecting cool underground creative
projects to each other. And thanks to my family and friends for
cheering me on this far. I wouldn’t be this passionate about
creating things without constant love and support from all of my
homies.
Follow Charlie Beech on Instagram (@charliebeechart)