New A Life, Still Submission!

John Van Beekum
Sink
University of Miami
Photograph
24”x20”x1.25”

Artist Statement

In 1975, I had been working as a photojournalist for six years. Burnt out, visually overloaded, I left the Big Apple and sought refuge in San Francisco.

I found solace in the simplicity of light, following it where it did or didn’t appear. Eventually I calmed down and returned to newspaper work.

Three years ago I retired from newspapers and enrolled at the University of Miami to complete my undergraduate degree. This fall I began a three-year MFA there. The first body of work I am producing comes from the mid-1970s when I paused to look inward.

This moment, discovered while doing the dishes in a simple porcelain sink in San Francisco, was one of many that nourished my desire and led me back to a wonderful, image-filled life.
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Born in Texas midway through the last century, John R. Van Beekum became a photojournalist before he turned twenty, working first at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and then the Associated Press in New York City, the Houston Chronicle, and the Miami Herald. He has also worked extensively for US News & World Report Magazine, the Washington Post and the New York Times. He graduated from the University of Miami this spring and is currently in their Master of Fine Arts program in Photography.