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P O R T R A I T S B Y
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i s
VIVIAN BEER IS FEARLESS. TH AT’S REALLY
t h e b e s t w a y t o d e s c r ib e h e r . T h e
33
- y e a r -
o ld d e s ig n e r / m a k e r t a k e s s t e e l a n d c u t s it .
B e n d s it . S h a p e s , w e ld s , g r in d s , a n d s a n d s
|
it . S h e t r a n s f o r m s i t - b y h a n d a n d m a c h in e
- f r o m r ig id r a w m a t e r ia l in t o im p o s s ib ly
%
c u r v y f u r n it u r e a n d s c u lp t u r e . A n d s h e d o e s
g-
a ll o f t h is , m o r e o r le s s , a lo n e .
CJ
8
B e e r d o e s n ’ t f in d a n y o f t h is d a u n t in g .
|
O n t h e c o n t r a r y , “ I ’ m a lw a y s t r y in g to
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p u s h m y s e lf in t o h a r d e r t e r r it o r y , ” s h e s a y s .
>
B u t w h e t h e r t h a t m e a n s m a k in g h e r d e s ig n s
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m o r e c o m p le x o r a d d in g m o r e p r o je c t s t o
C
■ §.
t h e d o c k e t , t h e m e t a ls a r t is t s e e m s t o k n o w ,
m o r e th a n m o s t , h o w to r u n w it h a c h a lle n g e .
T h a t ’s a g o o d t h in g , b e c a u s e t h is y e a r is
5
c h o c k - f u ll o f th e m .
B e e r k ic k e d o f f
2011
b y t a k in g le a v e o f h e r
m o d e s t N e w H a m p s h ir e s h o p , V iv ia n B e e r
S t u d io W o r k s , a n d h e a d in g t o P u r c h a s e C o l -
le g e ( p a r t o f th e S U N Y s y s t e m ) f o r a fiv e -
m o n t h r e s id e n c y . A c o u p le o f m o n t h s in t o
h e r s t a y , s h e w a s in t h e t h ic k o f p r o d u c in g
t h r e e d if f e r e n t t h e m e d b o d ie s o f w o r k - a n d
p u llin g t o g e t h e r t h r e e d is t in c t s o lo s h o w s
( o n e t h r o u g h P u r c h a s e , t h e o t h e r s a t C o u r t -
h o u s e G a lle r y F in e A r t in E lls w o r t h , M a in e ,
a n d W e x le r G a lle r y in P h ila d e lp h ia ) .
W o r k i n g in a n a c a d e m ic s e t t in g h a s
a llo w e d h e r t o e x p e r im e n t w it h n e w m a t e -
r ia ls a n d m e t h o d s , s h e s a y s . S h e c h e e r f u lly
c o m p a r e s i t t o t h e “ a m a z in g ly p r o d u c t iv e ”
t im e s h e s p e n t a t P e n la n d (
2003
-
8
) , w h e r e
s h e p r o d u c e d n o t a b le w o r k s s u c h a s h e r
jun/jul n american craft 033
