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Arts & Entertainment

Hometown Artist Paints Under Pressure

Max Becker dials into his craft in a live demonstration showing how he creates his classical world with a punk rock twist.

The South Bay art scene may be a little under-developed, but local artist Max Becker, who grew up working in his family's Manhattan Beach bakery, wouldn't have it any other way. Patch spoke with Max about his upcoming live art demonstration and why he thinks tattooing is the new frontier for artists.

Max Becker's live demonstration and opening reception will be held October 16 at 7 p.m. at The Mint Salon, 69 14th St., Hermosa Beach. The event includes live painting, an auction, beverages, food and a raffle and is open to the public.

Patch: First, tell me about the event this Saturday.

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Max Becker: Elias (Shepherd, owner of The Mint Salon) used to own a hair salon by Beckers Bakery, right up the block from us. He has just moved to Hermosa Beach with his new place. He came into the shop a lot when I worked there, and we would talk about art and tattooing. He came to me with this idea for an art show, and we set it up. There will be a live painting, so I'll be doing my thing in front of the crowd. We'll also have live music with a DJ and a raffle of the painting when I'm finished. I hope to see everyone come down to The Mint, and I want to thank Eli for putting this whole thing on. 

Patch: You do a lot of live demonstrations. Do you feel that enhances your work?

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Becker: I think it's really good for me to have that kind of pressure behind me. I've been doing "the beating heART SHOW" at Suzy's (Hermosa Beach) twice a month; I try to get in there as much as I can. It's just a really cool element, forces you to knock it out in front of everyone.

Patch: How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it?

Becker: It's sort of a black and white picture show with classic actresses and movie characters. I've always been a big fan of old movies, and I've always loved classical looks. Everything today looks a little too modern for me. I guess I would describe my work as a warped, old-fashioned picture show.

Patch: When did you first notice your gift?

Becker: I took formal classes when I was really young, and when I was about a sophomore in high school through Summer of Art at Otis college. It was two weeks straight of getting up at 8 o'clock and painting until 6  - when your mom comes and picks you up. I never liked that bootcamp style. When I got home and had the freedom to breathe and paint I got really serious about it. I had this old picture of Audrey Hepburn I copied, and I thought it looked so cool. I decided, "I'm going to paint this type of woman, and that's it."

Patch: How did you refine your talent into what it is today?

Becker: I had the benefit of working with friends. Sam Harang is an amazing artist, and I've known him forever. I remember I would go over to his house a lot and end up sitting in his room watching him paint for hours. When I said to myself, "I'm going to do this," I started by painting side-by-side with him. He was always there to tweak whatever I was doing. I soaked all that in, and now I'm running with it. The whole time, my parents were extremely supportive. Anything I needed, they had for me. My mom drove me everywhere to help me learn.

Patch: What are your aspirations for your work in the future?

I'm looking to refine my craft. I know that I can be a certain caliber of artist, and I'm just trying to get there. I'm really trying to get into tattooing. It's a dream job for me - to draw all day and get paid for it. I think portrait work in tattooing is getting progressively a lot more popular. People come in with pictures of grandpa or even their cat - it's very cool now to have a background of real life and take tattooing and make it an extension of that.

Patch: Have you tried your hand at tattooing yet?

No, I haven't ruined anybody yet. (Max laughs). I thought about getting a machine and just going for it, but I want to do it right. I want to get a good apprenticeship and go through the whole process.

Patch: How would you describe the South Bay art scene?

I never really noticed it when I was younger, and I'm just kind of seeing it now. Some of my dear friends are at the shows, but I'm not sure a lot of them really get it. It's more of a punk rock scene still. They're kind of there to drink, and there's art work there, which they think is cool. When they ask how much a painting is, and I tell them, they're not really willing to support an artist, to take their wallets out and get serious about it. But, I don't think I'd want to appeal to anyone else. I value those opinions so much. I think it's a little immature on one side but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Patch: Does your work represent something greater than the visual experience?

In the end, you're going to take away from it what you're going to take away from it. There is nothing specific I'm trying to hit you with. It's an extension of what I like, and I'm just trying to put that out there. I'm sick of looking at all of this MTV, loss-of-value media stuff. I want something with a lot of class. I want to put something out there that is different and makes you think.

Patch: Any insider tips for art lovers or aspiring painters in the area?

Do what you like to do. Don't get discouraged. There's going to be a lot of people telling you what looks good, and it's irritating, and you're the one who has to stare at it for hours. As long as you're happy with it, that's what matters. 

Visit his website at www.maxwellbecker.com for updates on his work in the future.

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