Standing among nearly 30 brightly colored geometric paintings and other works, local artist Dakota Becker (who uses they, them pronouns) is preparing for their first solo art exhibition in time for RVA First Fridays at Shockoe Artspace.
A senior painting and printmaking major at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, Becker is the first undergraduate student to display work at the gallery, located on North 19th Street.
Becker covers canvases in patterns of bright geometric shapes that range from trance-inducing to visually calming in their latest exhibit, Found Affinity, and the artist’s work is primarily non-objective, and the patterns range in complexity.
“I would describe my style as hard edge, geometric abstraction,” Becker said.
According to Becker’s artist statement, they consider the paintings to be a reflection of the way they process thoughts and surroundings. By striving to create pieces that go beyond “the spatial boundaries of the painting as well as multifaceted effects” they create complex paintings that reflect Beckers mind and skills.
“ If you look at them {the paintings}, they are like a little map of my brain and the quality and craftsmanship that I aim for, it’s something I crave,” Becker said.
The exhibition is a display of that craftsmanship, which Becker has spent the past two years developing. After completing The Art Foundations Program at VCU, Becker found an affinity for painting and through struggling with self-portraits, began to develop the style they have today.
“It was kind of like a serendipitous discovery that just evolved into what it is today,” Becker said.
When they first began making hard edge geometric paintings, Becker used darker colors in complex patterns and spent less time focusing on small details. Using precise measurements and tape, Becker creates sections of color that all come together to form one fluid piece.
Today Becker’s paintings consist of bright, vibrant colors in more symmetrical patterns and they examine the details much more closely.
“Even what started out as something really relaxing was still hard and as I get more and more into the style I want it to be more and more perfect and sometimes I become very frustrated,” Becker said.
Becker spends hours examining lines and paint thickness to ensure the pieces are as pristine as possible. Each piece has its own life and origin in Becker’s mind that comes onto the canvas as a non-objective piece that viewers can interpret.
Ryan Lauterio, the owner of Shockoe Artspace, first met Becker when they were a student in his drawing class at VCU. His vision for the space is to create a gallery that any artist can be displayed in and he was particularly intrigued by Becker’s work.
“If you went through different cultures you might find a lot of this strong geometry, colors, and cleanliness that resonates and gives their work a transcendent quality,” Lauterio said.
After going to one of Becker’s artist critiques and seeing their work, Lauterio knew he wanted to show Becker’s work at his gallery. The two previous shows he held resulted in opportunities for both those artists and Lauterio hopes the same for Becker.
“Dakota is the first student who is getting a solo exhibition here and it’s because the work is extremely good and extremely focused,” he said.
While Becker is a student, Lauterio does not want that to be a defining aspect of the art work. He hopes people will look at the art and think ‘wow that’s really good work’ as opposed to ‘wow that’s really good student work.’
Through his space, Lauterio also wants to break down the “hierarchy of art” and view all artists with the same amount of respect and appreciation.
“I’ve been waiting to show a student artist to be able to say it’s not about whether you have a master’s or not it’s about the artist, and to me it’s thrilling,” he said.
Dakota Becker’s exhibit, “Found Affinity” opens at Shockoe Artspace this Fri., Sept. 1, from 6 to 9 pm. An artist talk will follow the next day from 2-3:30 pm.
