Oil on paper, circa 1955. 466x588 mm; 18 1/2x23 1/4 inches. Signed in colored pencil, lower right recto.
Ex-collection private collection, Denver.
Born in Westchester County outside New York, Beck (1923-2003) is known as a member of the second generation of Abstract Expressionists that also included Elaine de Kooning and Joan Mitchell (see lots 14-17). She received a bachelor's degree in art history at Oberlin College in 1944, and gained practical experience at the Art Students League in New York.
Early on in her career she was able to develop fruitful relationships with fellow abstract expressionist artists. For a period she lived in Woodstock, New York where she became friends with Philip Guston and Bradley Walker Tomlin. The latter arranged for Beck to work in Robert Motherwell's studio; Motherwell also served as a mentor for the artist, selecting her for exhibitions and suggesting her to galleries. This led to a succession of one person shows at the Peridot Gallery. In 1957, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York included her in their "Young America" exhibition as one of 30 artists under the age of 35.
