Mark Beam (1957 - )

  Born in 1957, in Detroit michigan, Mark Beam has become known as a southern California-based sculptor of bold, colorful images with its roots in humor.

Beam was raised in Detroit, and at the age of 19 moved to California. After a
year of graphic design/production courses, he went to work in a graphics
department. At the same time, he was writing and performing stand up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Beam says "I got laughs, but I wasn't hungry enough to commit my life to it." He then worked on the creation of the PeeWee Herman show, the stage production that was the prototype of the CBS childrens' television series. In 1984 beam gravitated towards sculpture.

After doing experiments with different art materials, he began working with
a combination of foam, paper mache and fiberglass and in the process defined a look of his own. Then combining this"look" with his humorous take on things, he created pieces that were bold and funny.

For 18 years, as of this writing, Mark Beam has been producing artworks that
have been collected and exhibited by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
Frank Zappa, Takashimaya Corporation in Osaka, Japan, and actress Carrie
Fisher.

EXHIBITIONS:
Copro/Nasson Gallery, LA...
...Group Show '99-2000

A Gallery, Palm Desert...
...Group Show '98-99

Gallerie Periwinkle, Mill Valley...
...Group Show '98-2000

La Luz De Jesus Gallery, LA...
...Group Show '96

ACME Fine Art, San Francisco...
...Group Show '96-'98

Track 16 Bergamot Station, Santa Monica...
...Group Show '94

Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach...
...Group Show '93-2000

South Bay Contemporary Museum of Art, Long Beach...
...Group Show '94

Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach...
...Group Show '92

Takashimiya Exhibitions, Osaka Japan...
...Solo Show '88-'92

Schwartz/Cierlak Gallery, Santa Monica...
...Group Show '90-'91

Suzanne Brown Contemporary, Scottsdale...
...Solo Show '88-'95

Ivey Gallery, LA...
...Group Show '89

Taylor/Gratzer Gallery, LA...
...Group Show '86-'89

Sherwood Gallery, Laguna Beach...
...Group Show '84-'92

COLLECTIONS
LA County Museum of Art (M.91.152)
K. C. Parishath Art Museum, Bangalore, India

Universal Studios
Spago Restaurant

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Zappa
NBC Television

Mr. & Mrs. Jack & Joan Quinn
Overseas Film Group

Ms. Carrie Fisher
Turner Broadcast Network

Ms. Sally Kellerman
Mr. Peter Gabriel

Mr. & Mrs. David Steinberg
Mr. & Mrs. Sid Sheinberg

Mr. & Mrs. Brian Setzer
Mr. Robin Leach

Ms. Danielle Steele
Ms. Penny Marshall

Frank Zappa/Ensemble Modern "The Yellow Shark," 1993

Performance Sculpture, CD jacket, Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin

Warner Bros. Studio Galleries, Dimensional Portrait Series, 1995, 1996

The Pee Wee Herman Show, stage production/HBO special

Interview, dustydomino.com, November, 2000

Seal Beach Sun, Don Mabbott, July 22, 1999

Playboy (Germany), February 1997

Phoenix Gazette, Lyn Pyne, March 22, 1991

New York Yomuiri, Akiko Yoshimoto, March 23, 1991

Popeye Magazine, Japan, September 1990

New York Times, "Cowboys Ride," Bill Zimmer, August 1991

Sunstorm Arts Magazine, Greg Firlotte, January 1988

Mono Magazine, Japan, June 1988

Designer West Magazine, Wolfgang Puck Article, January 1988

Better Homes & Gardens, Big Personality Pieces, March 1987

Los Angeles Magazine, Nancy Clair, January 1988

Los Angeles Times Magazine, Bevis Hillier, September 1986