for the intimacy and emotional power of his figurative drawings. In the first major retrospective of his works on paper, the Columbus Museum explores Beckman's primary subject matter: the individual. Nearly fifty portraits reveal captivating expressions of self-possession, rebellion, and vulnerability. Coinciding with the Museum's sixtieth anniversary, these works from private and public collections reveal the Columbus Museum's commitment to promoting, exhibiting, and collecting American drawings. Drawing inspiration from northern European painting, the writings of Russian author Nikolai Gogol, and the farm on which he grew up in western Minnesota, Beckman's work examines human relationships?the quiet of solitude, the intimacy of marriage, and the complexity of gender issues. Often working in series, and experimenting with scale, William Beckman's process is at the fore, producing compelling images that engage the viewer directly. Featuring colour plates of Beckman's work from the full span of his career, as well as archival photos from his childhood and college days, 'William Beckman: Drawings, 1967?2013' includes an interview with the artist as well as an exploratory essay by noted author and scholar Carter Ratcliff. AUTHOR: Charles T. (Tom) Butler is the executive director of the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia. He has organized over one hundred exhibitions, and authored and edited numerous catalogues and brochures? the most recent being 'Lines of Discovery: 225 Years of American Drawing' (2006) and 'Bo Bartlett' (2003). Carter Ratcliff is an art critic, writer and poet. His books on art include 'Pop americains' (2013) and 'Andy Warhol: Portrait's (2007). He has contributed to numerous magazines including Art in America and Parkett. 64 65 Catalogue Man?Woman 1, 1986 Charcoal, 108 × 75 in. Private Collection, Missouri Self-Portrait in Studio, 1984 Charcoal, 60 × 96 in. Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Gift of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Hassam-Speicher Purchase Fund, M1985.100 98 99 70 images
