“You have to crawl inside...by that I mean you have to understand the subject, empathize...then breathe life into it. The canvas becomes alive, changing and growing every time you look at it."
        -Noah Becker on how to understand his art

Where are these figures and do they have their backs turned against us or towards us? 

These irresolvable questions fulfill Becker’s objective, which is to keep the viewers perplexed and continually altering their opinion “every time you look at it.”  The use of dark colours, gestural brushstrokes, and minimalist detail bestow an eeriness to the scene.  One can presume that this painting was inspired by a place in Victoria, but it is purposely difficult to pinpoint. Many streets in Victoria can feel like this at certain times in the day or night.

This painting was created in 1991. Throughout the 1990’s, Becker had a studio in Fan Tan Alley.  It was a vibrant art community with over 40 artists living or working in the district.  Becker was most likely one of the youngest members of the Fan Tan Alley Community.  Passionate about creating art, Becker earned a bachelor degree from the Victoria College of Art, in 1987, at the age of seventeen.  He then completed a Masters under the tutelage of Glenn Howarth.  

His work was recently exhibited at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the show “How Soon is Now” and he was a finalist at for the Visual Artist 2009 and a Semi Finalist at the RBC Painting competition 2009. He also plays the saxophone and is the publisher and founder of Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art.

Noah Becker "Untitled" Abstract Figures, 1991