Becky Beamer

Becky Beamer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, artist, and Assistant professor of photojournalism at OSLOMET University in Oslo, Norway. Her area of expertise is investigative storytelling that challenges the status quo and perceived boundaries of a medium. Becky´s collaborative projects were recognized with grants from the Puffin Foundation, Fulbright Commission, Graham Foundation, and Windgate Foundation. She received an MFA from the University of Alabama in BookArts and a BFA from Pratt Institute in FIlm and Photography.

Q&A

Artist Statement

Documented by an outsider, her artwork captures culture as it transforms, bends, and builds through imagery, not words. The assemblage, over time, shares new points of view and narratives. The stories are now rooted in our collective memory.Beamer´s artistic endeavors are experimental and difficult to categorize, but her process directly reflects a multi-dimensional background in documentary, book arts, and journalism. Each project involves exploration, research, and storytelling that expose technical abilities in video, photography, and bookwork. Common themes from her transformative documentary work include questions about personal identity, societal injustice, and material explorations.While it´s impossible to predict precisely how each artistic project will evolve, there is a persistent commonality in her work that challenges societal norms and conventions. Beamer´s genuine curiosity and imagination bridge investigative research, conceptual development, poetic imagery, and technical abilities in craft.Above all, Becky Beamer´s visual storytelling spirit is built on a foundation of sustainable community development with a core mission of empowering those in positions of less power while raising the standards of transparency for political and educational institutions so that all citizens are fairly represented.Her directorial debut feature film, ¨Machine Vivat Apparatus¨, investigates an unethical secret society at the University of Alabama that has controlled politics in the region for over one hundred years. The visuals, audio, and content challenge audiences to confront reality and ask questions of authorities in their own community. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Vudu.“I believe in the immortality of art & collaboration. With so many stories to tell, there’s no reason to stay in one place.” – Becky Beamer www.BEckyBEamer.com www.PaperIsPretty.com

What craft do you work with? 

Book Art – Sculpture & Paper Making / PrintingMFA – Book Art, University of Alabama

What inspires you to work with this craft? 

I am drawn to making as a meditation and connection to the material world. Crafted works bring me closer to people by translating the experiences and interactions in my head.

How do you start your creative process?

I spend a considerable amount of time in the research phase. I embed myself into a community and listen.That is a commonality in my work.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

Right now, I live in a humble apartment in Oslo, Norway and my workspace is my livingroom/kitchen. I wish I could say that I have a dedicated workspace and studio. One day…. Stay tuned.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I am always looking for new techniques and materials that are needed for a particular story. RIght now, I would like to explore glass.

What other types of craft do you dream of collaborating with?

In my experience, makers are very approachable. I look forward to my next collaboration.

Media & Contact

References

Website: www.BEckyBEamer.com

 

Photography credit

Becky Beamer

Location

Oslo, Norway

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