Sarah Beck facts for kids
Sarah Beck is a talented Canadian artist. She was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Sarah studied art at Ryerson Polytechnic University and The Ontario College of Art and Design University. Today, she lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.
What Kind of Art Does Sarah Beck Make?
Sarah Beck's art is often funny and easy to understand. She uses these qualities to explore topics like nature (ecology), money (economy), work (labour), and the difference between facts and made-up stories. Her artworks are often very big. You can see them in art galleries, but also in public spaces outside.
Famous Artworks by Sarah Beck
In 2001, Sarah Beck created her first big artwork called ÖDE. ÖDE was a made-up company that designed and sold affordable weapons. These weapons were made from cheap materials. You could buy them in seven different colours and put them together with a special tool.
ÖDE was first shown in Vancouver in 2001. It was then shown in many other cities, like Seattle and Philadelphia. This artwork helped Sarah win the Joseph S Stauffer Prize from The Canada Council. This award helps young Canadian artists who show great promise. A special armoured vehicle from the original ÖDE project was even shown at The Military Museums in Calgary.
In 2009, Sarah created Dirty Loonie. This sculpture was Canada's official entry in an international competition called the VIièmes International Jeux de la Francophonie in Beirut, Lebanon. Dirty Loonie won a silver medal for Canada in the sculpture category! Later, it was shown at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games as part of the Cultural Olympiad. It was also featured in Toronto's 2012 Nuit Blanche event, as part of an exhibition called The Museum for the End of the World.
Sarah also made Postcards from the End for The Museum for the End of the World. She described these as "sculptural postcards." They were large, life-sized scenes based on disaster themes. People could pose with them to take selfies and remember their visit. The idea was to mix fun photo opportunities with serious topics.
In 2015, Sarah's artwork The Light was shown in Fort McMurray, Alberta. This piece was a tribute to the old-fashioned tungsten light bulb. These light bulbs stopped being made in North America in 2015. The Light was filled with 360 light bulbs. They stayed on continuously until every single one burned out. The letters in the artwork are a line from the famous poem 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' by Dylan Thomas.
Sarah Beck often works with another artist named Shlomi Greenspan. Together, they created an artwork called Clean Sweep. This was part of an exhibition called Gallery Galleria. Clean Sweep was a claw machine, like the ones you see in arcades. But instead of toys, it had a tiny, imagined version of the old Galleria Shopping Centre inside. The exhibition was put together by Aisle 4.
