Artist Statement & Bio

Artist Statement

Experiential history is the context from which we all come; it's an unavoidable formative influence for each of us.  Behn works with a desire to elucidate connections between humans, personally and socially.   More specifically, considering the position and status of women in society, viewpoints of gender, race relations, and our human ability to change for the better.  

Behn bases their work on these issues through historical and personal experience, noticing the effects our perceived history has had on our psychology and actions today.  Behn's goal is to make work which is simple yet complex, work which translates a feeling or understanding to you the viewer.  Only you can say if this goal is met.

It is important to Behn that people understand that although we have differences, we can all relate to and care about one another.  Behn embraces the idea that someday we'll evolve beyond violence and hurting each other, and instead understand and see one another more clearly.

Bio

A.S. Behn was born in Washington and has lived in California for more than 20 years. With a background in math, science, technology, and training in Renaissance realism techniques, Behn brings a unique skill set and perspective to artmaking.

Training in classical realism techniques at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy has a notable influence on their work, as does the contemporary art training in Intermedia Arts at Mills College in Oakland, CA.  Behn works in various media, which results in sculptural forms, outdoor installations, wire, steel, video, and sound.  The elements of social connection, social commentary, and the ability of people to persevere through difficulty are common to each work.

Public showings of their work include: HackerMurmur at Hackermoms Berkeley,  2015, In 3-D: Selected Art by Pacific Rim Sculptors at Art Ark, San Jose 2014 (Donna Napper, Juror), Sculpture! Richmond Art Center 2014 (John Toki, Juror), created Art Deux with Mel.O at the Rockridge Library (Oakland 2012), participated in the Lennon Underground Art Expo in 2011. Behn was selected for the City College San Francisco's Annual Juried Student Show 2010, San Francisco's Open Studios in 2002, 2004, and 2010, Jack London Art Invitational in Winter 2003.  Site-specific installations were created at Burning Man 2002 as well as for the Way of the Doll show at the Nexxus Gallery in 2000, among others. 

Behn has multiple works in private collections and lives and works in Kensington, California.

You can see older works here: opencurves.popslice.com

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