Beug, Lorne (1948-)

A long-time Regina resident, Lorne Beug has practiced as a visual artist for over thirty years. He studied anthropology and Psychology at the University of Regina, obtaining his BA with Great Distinction in 1969. Following graduation, he worked as a clinical psychologist at the Weyburn Mental Hospital. In 1972, he enrolled in the University of Regina's ceramics program, where he studied with Marilyn Levine and Joe Fafard. While informed by the Folk/Funk tradition of those artists, Beug was also influenced by his academic background. Typical is “Patterned Ground,” which was commissioned by the city of Regina for installation at the Fieldhouse: this ceramic mural depicts an aerial view of a “patchwork quilt” prairie landscape underlaid by layers of geological strata. In the late 1980s, Beug shifted to photo-collage, using images of architectural detail on existing buildings to construct his own edifices. While it was tempting for critics to read the collages as the ruins of a great civilization that had succumbed to the ravages of time, Beug preferred to regard them as articulating an alternative civic history. Most recently, he has been using digital technology to create artist's books and panoramic scrolls on a similar architectural theme.

Gregory Beatty