FORD BECKMAN: 1952 - 2014
November 20, 2014
Ford Beckman, a painter who rose to prominence in the New York art scene of the late 1980's, died Tuesday at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 62. The cause of death was a heart attack.
Beckman was deeply committed to his faith and regarded his artwork a celebration of that faith.
His first New York exhibitions at Craig Cornelius Gallery and Tony Shafrazi Gallery were well received, both critically and commercially. His spare reductive black and white paintings on plywood caught the attention of collectors including Peter Brant, Charles Saatchi and Count Guiseppe Panza with Panza becoming his largest collector, eventually owning 50 works by Beckman.
In 1992, at Hans Mayer Gallery, Dusseldorf, Beckman debuted his Pop Paintings series: both disturbing and familiar, these paintings were based on mass produced images of clowns. Artnews quoted Beckman, "The clown is the perfect icon of our time-wonderful and joyous to some, frightening and nightmarish to others."
From his friendship with Cy Twombly, in 1994 emerged the "La Roma" paintings, many which were produced while working in Twombly's studio in Gaeta. While still using plywood panels as a support, a signature throughout his career, the exuberant color, organic forms and gestural drawing of this series paid homage to Twombly.
In the early 1990's Beckman left New York for Tulsa, Oklahoma where he had attended college to better address the care of his daughter, a special needs child. Beckman would continue to make art with exhibitions of recent work at McClain Gallery, Houston and Maloney Fine Art, Los Angeles.
His work is included in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Essl Collection, Vienna.
Beckman is survived by his wife Cynthia and daughter Isabella. Condolences can be sent to the Beckman Studio, 6450 South Lewis, Suite 220, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74136. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Ford Beckman Studio Trust, dedicated to the care of his disabled widow, Cynthia and his special needs daughter, Isabella.
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