Drew Beson

Enormous paintings filled with vibrant colors and bold movement typify my work. If it is too big to pick up, I feel like I have succeeded. The rest of the success of the work I attribute to the genius- Gwynn.

I am neither the person I was, nor who I will be. We are in a continual state of homeostasis—a state of total and perfect equilibrium. It's a state of both regeneration and decay—every cell in our body regenerates approximately every 7 years, all 7 billion or so of them. At best, you are seeing an episode of my work.

By definition, an episode is “a part of a dramatic work: akin to a chapter of a book.” I want you to see the work honestly, in real-time and as far from perfection. I also hope and pray that the work spontaneously combusts shortly after being shown (thanks Kiki), so enjoy it while it lasts.

Drew studied studio art at St. Olaf College. He took advantage of the state-of-the-art space of the Dittmann Center and studied under the tutelage of Ron Gallas, Irve Dell, Wendell Arneson and John Saurer. During this time, Drew continued his travels and seized the opportunity to study art in New York. He interviewed 25 artists, and visited over 100 galleries and museums during his time there. Drew also studied art in Florence, Cortona, Siena, and Lucca, Italy as well as London, England.