BRAHM TO GO Season 2- Derrick Beasley

Presenting BRAHM TO GO, the podcast that brings art and history to you through artist interviews, oral histories, and scholarly lectures.

Derrick Beasley is a multimedia artist and activist based in Durham, NC. He describes himself as a visual artist, creating at the intersection of community and imagination. He works in photography, graphic design, woodwork, installation, cultural space-making, and community organizing. It is through these mediums that he works to facilitate conversations between the individual and their own imagination.

The following quote comes from Derrick's artist statement, "I take the familiar and abstract it enough to stretch our perception of what is possible. In doing this, I imagine new worlds where we are less concerned with validating our humanity than exploring its limitless potential within it. I want to show that the radical new world so many of us are fighting for is actually a basic human experience. My hope as an artist is for individuals experiencing my art to reflect on their existence and expand their conceptualization of what is possible."

Image Credit: "To Be Changed..." Derrick Beasley. 2018. Acrylic Paint on Wood Relief Carving.

View Derrick's website: http:www.derrickbeasley.art

About the exhibit

Wood is one of the most versatile of materials. It can be malleable or rigid, light or dark, smooth or rough, young or old. Artists carve, cut, sand, sculpt, bend, bind, and burn it. Branching Out: Works in Wood from North Carolina features a diverse selection of work, ranging from wooden furniture to sculpture, as well as a variety of types of wood and techniques used to create these contemporary works. Exhibiting artists come from across the state of North Carolina and include Roger Atkins, Derrick Beasley, Kim & Paul Fuelling, Mark Gardner, Aspen Golann, Craig Kassan, Jim Oleson, Brent Skidmore, Bob Trotman, Anthony Ulinski, Joël Urruty, Zak Weinberg, and Erik Wolken. Works in the exhibition explore concepts of functionality, texture, color, form, space, humanity, belief, and technology. These artists “branch out” to create work out of wood in unique ways, expanding the possibilities within this familiar medium. Special thanks to our supporters for making this exhibition possible: Lee Rocamora & John Thompson Carol Dabbs Barbara Laughlin Monkee's of Blowing Rock Suzanne & Dayn McBee