Chistopher Beikmann ARTIST STATEMENT My artwork represents the places I’ve been and the spiritual connections I’ve made with foreign lands people, cultures and religions. The inspiration of my many mentors has inevitably been channeled through my work over the years and to them I am eternally grateful. It is through my photography that I try to capture a moment in time, an object of mystery or a portrait of a culture. It is with my collage work that I try to share a cultural story, myth, legend or a piece of history. I hope that my artwork inspires others to travel, learn and experience the unknown or learn more about the many cultures, people and religions in this beautiful world in which we live. You may discover we’re all more alike than different in every way |
Placeholder for new Artist statement page
As a child I remember a hard cover book that my parents kept in our living room called “The World’s Last Mysteries”. I particularly remember being engaged by
the Aztec sun calendar on the front cover. I believe my fascination with travel and ancient cultures was born here. I would spend hours going through the
pages, looking at the ruins of Angkor, Machu Picchu, and Ancient Egypt with daydreams of being Indiana Jones and exploring the temples. While my
daydreams were exotic and adventurous, much of my education was received at a private religious school which provided me with an extensive knowledge of
conservative Christian doctrine and biblical studies.
As I matured my fascination with foreign lands and religions grew and intertwined with my growing passion for photography. I jumped at every opportunity to
travel abroad. I have traveled to Jamaica, Korea, China, Mexico, Canada, Singapore and even lived in Malaysia for several months as a student. My budget
was always tight, but my desire to see and learn more had no limits. My goal was to someday see every place that was in that book. The more I traveled the
more addicted I became to the entire experience. In recent years I have added Peru, Thailand, Vietnam, Panama and multiple trips to Cambodia to my list of
travels.
My artwork represents the places I’ve been and the spiritual connections I’ve made with foreign lands, people, cultures and religions. The inspiration of my
many mentors has inevitably been channeled through my work over the years and to them I am eternally grateful. I am first and foremost a photographer. My
photo collage work is unique as I do not use any stock or sampled images. Every image you see in my art work is created from my original and inspired
photographs. It is through my photography that I try to capture a moment in time, an object of mystery or a portrait of a culture. It is with my collage work that I
try to share a cultural story, myth, legend, history or personal statement. My collage work can be considered controversial by some, but so much of what is
taught about religion and ancient history today is incorrect or very one-sided. I hope that my artwork inspires others to travel, learn and experience the unknown
or learn more about the many cultures, people and religions in this beautiful world in which we live. You may discover we’re all more alike than different in
every way.
As a child I remember a hard cover book that my parents kept in our living room called “The World’s Last Mysteries”. I particularly remember being engaged by
the Aztec sun calendar on the front cover. I believe my fascination with travel and ancient cultures was born here. I would spend hours going through the
pages, looking at the ruins of Angkor, Machu Picchu, and Ancient Egypt with daydreams of being Indiana Jones and exploring the temples. While my
daydreams were exotic and adventurous, much of my education was received at a private religious school which provided me with an extensive knowledge of
conservative Christian doctrine and biblical studies.
As I matured my fascination with foreign lands and religions grew and intertwined with my growing passion for photography. I jumped at every opportunity to
travel abroad. I have traveled to Jamaica, Korea, China, Mexico, Canada, Singapore and even lived in Malaysia for several months as a student. My budget
was always tight, but my desire to see and learn more had no limits. My goal was to someday see every place that was in that book. The more I traveled the
more addicted I became to the entire experience. In recent years I have added Peru, Thailand, Vietnam, Panama and multiple trips to Cambodia to my list of
travels.
My artwork represents the places I’ve been and the spiritual connections I’ve made with foreign lands, people, cultures and religions. The inspiration of my
many mentors has inevitably been channeled through my work over the years and to them I am eternally grateful. I am first and foremost a photographer. My
photo collage work is unique as I do not use any stock or sampled images. Every image you see in my art work is created from my original and inspired
photographs. It is through my photography that I try to capture a moment in time, an object of mystery or a portrait of a culture. It is with my collage work that I
try to share a cultural story, myth, legend, history or personal statement. My collage work can be considered controversial by some, but so much of what is
taught about religion and ancient history today is incorrect or very one-sided. I hope that my artwork inspires others to travel, learn and experience the unknown
or learn more about the many cultures, people and religions in this beautiful world in which we live. You may discover we’re all more alike than different in
every way.