BECKETT, Peter

Born in Oakville, Ontario, in 1956, Beckett graduated from McMaster University in 1979 with an honours B.A. in Art and Art History. In 1980 he studied yacht design at Humber College. Was Artist in Residence, St. Johns College,

Santa Fe NM 1982-84. Studied "Final Cut Pro," a video editing program, at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2002.

After his second year at McMaster, Beckett spent a year cycling through Europe to see some of the art and architecture that he had been studying. The importance of context, was a lesson Beckett learned through this pilgrimage.

As part of his experience, Beckett sailed the length of the Mediterranean as the crew on a 32' West Sail. He learned how to navigate in heavy weather. His new appreciation of how the forces of nature and technology find a balance in form and function, led him to study yacht design. Building a wooden sail boat is on his list of things to do. Towards that end he lived aboard a wooden boat for the winter 06-07 and "made him self useful" at G&B, builders of traditional wooden boats, on Martha's Vineyard, MA.

For years Beckett has travelled extensively, between cities and remote, isolated environments. "Nature and solitude have been profound influences," he says. Whether it is a rift valley in Kenya or the north shore of Lake Superior, these influences, from the tangible to the inexplicable are reflected in his art.

Source: www.peterbeckett.com/