Bend in the River

Dennis Ray Beall

Oklahoma born printmaker Dennis Beall began working in printmaking as a student at San Francisco State College in the early 1950s. At that time he produced a series of Abstract Expressionist color lithographs, all in very limited editions. A friendship with printmaker John Ihle led him to work in intaglio in the late 1950s.

"Bend in the River" was created in 1960. Using a combination of etching and aquatint, Beall relied on gesture and spontaneity to create this Abstract Expressionist intaglio. "Bend in the River" is pencil signed, titled, and dated, and was printed by the artist in an edition of 15, this being impression number 1.

Beall was registrar at the Oakland Museum of California briefly in 1958 before becoming a curator at the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in San Francisco, working with Gunter Troche. He held that position until 1965 when he began his teaching career at San Francisco State University where he taught printmaking.