January at The Whip
Luke Behrndt
The past of an artist is also his product. Nothing is more obvious in the work of Lukas Behrndt. Born in the farming community of Oil Trough, Arkansas, Behrndt would never find this town a welcoming home. The artist came from humble beginnings, a broken family and decades of poor weather. Necessary upkeep on the family farm meant that Behrndt was unable to attend school. A smart boy, he quickly learned to communicate with the farmhands—though he could not read or write. Lacking a formal education, the boy strove to find his voice through other means. Painting and drawing soon demanded more work than his day’s labour.
Characters, colours, and symbols became the artist’s way of relating the past to the present. Behrndt could no longer tolerate the isolated life of the Ozarks, and, at the age of ten, vowed he would eventually leave. The boy resolved to steal from his family whenever he had the chance. Finally, the day came: at thirteen Behrndt hopped a train and headed west. The artist travelled from town to town, preserving his experiences with his art.
At seventeen, he found himself living above a toy store in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he still resides. Although now literate, Behrndt’s main source of communication will always be through his work.
lukasbehrndt@gmail.com
