Mark Bradford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Bradford
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Bradford in 2016
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| Born | November 20, 1961 Los Angeles, California, US
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| Alma mater | California Institute of the Arts |
| Known for | abstract painting, performance art |
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Notable work
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Venice Biennale US Pavilion (2017), We The People (2017), Pickett's Charge (2017), Bell Tower (LAX) (2017), Yellow Bird (2012), Helter Skelter I (2007), Scorched Earth (2006), Los Moscos (2004) |
| Movement | Contemporary Art |
| Awards | National Academy of Arts and Letters, National Academy of Arts and Sciences, MacArthur Genius Award, US Department of State Medal of Arts, Bucksbaum Award |
Mark Bradford, born on November 20, 1961, is a famous American artist. He creates amazing art using different materials. Mark Bradford lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He studied art at the California Institute of the Arts. He is best known for his unique paintings made from collage. These artworks have been shown all over the world.
Besides painting, he also makes videos, prints, and installations. In 2017, Mark Bradford represented the United States at the Venice Biennale, a huge international art show. In 2021, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People.
Contents
Mark Bradford's Early Life and Education
Mark Bradford grew up in South Los Angeles. His mother owned a beauty salon in Leimert Park. When he was 11, his family moved to Santa Monica. But his mother kept her salon in the old neighborhood.
Mark sometimes helped out in his mother's shop. After finishing high school, he became a licensed hairdresser. He then worked at his mother's salon.
Later, Mark Bradford started college at Santa Monica College. He then transferred to the California Institute of the Arts. He graduated in 1991 when he was 30 years old. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1995. He then got his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in 1997.
How Mark Bradford Creates Art
Mark Bradford is famous for his abstract paintings that look like grids. He combines collage with paint in his art. His artworks are made from many layers of paper and cords. He uses different tools and methods to create them. These include carving, tearing, shredding, gluing, and sanding. He even uses power-washing!
Throughout his career, Bradford has collected "merchant posters." These are printed sheets that advertise services. They are often posted in neighborhoods. These posters might advertise things like housing, debt help, or jobs. They also include legal advice for immigrants.
Bradford sometimes explores ideas about masculinity and gender in his art. He draws on his own experiences as a gay man.
Important Artworks by Mark Bradford
In 2006, Mark Bradford created paintings called 'Scorched Earth' and 'Black Wall Street'. These were inspired by the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. He revisited this topic in 2021 with his painting ‘Tulsa Gottdamn’. This marked 100 years since the event.
His collage Orbit (2007) shows a basketball image in the middle of many Los Angeles streets. It looks like a view from above a city that is changing and breaking apart. The tiny street grids seem to lose their shape. This artwork makes you wonder if the dream of sports is real hope or a false promise.
Bradford's A Truly Rich Man is One Whose Children Run into His Arms Even When His Hands Are Empty (2008) is a very large painting. It is almost 9 feet wide and 9 feet tall. It can remind you of burned car windshields after riots. When you look closely, you can see layers of found materials. These materials are sliced, sanded, and pasted to create a new look.
Mark Bradford also creates video art, prints, and installations. His installation Mithra (2008) was a huge ark. It was 70 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 25 feet tall. He built it from old plywood fences. He sent it to New Orleans for an art show. This show remembered Hurricane Katrina.
In 2015, Mark Bradford made Pull Painting 1. This was a special wall drawing at the Wadsworth Atheneum museum. He applied thick layers of colorful paper, paint, and rope. Then he sanded, peeled, and cut away parts. This created a textured artwork on the wall.
Also in 2017, Bradford created '150 Portrait Tone'. This was a wall painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The mural includes text from a 911 call related to a tragic event. The title refers to the pink paint used. It makes you think about who is being shown in art and who has power.
Special Art Projects and Commissions
In 2014, Mark Bradford created a large artwork for the Tom Bradley International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport. It is called “Bell Tower.” This huge, four-sided artwork is made from wood. It is covered with colorful printed paper. It looks like the handbill-covered wooden walls that have inspired Bradford.
In 2017, Mark Bradford created 'We The People' for the US Embassy in London. This large painting uses parts of the US Constitution. It is made of 32 separate canvases. It covers an entire wall in the embassy's main hall.
In 2018, a huge new artwork by Bradford was shown at the University of California, San Diego. It is called "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT." This work is 195 feet tall. It is the tallest structure on the campus. It explores how technology affects communication.
In 2009, the Getty Museum asked Bradford to work with their education team. He chose to help teachers. He brought together 10 other artists. They created free lesson plans for K-12 teachers.
In 2017, Bradford started a six-year project in Venice, Italy. He worked with a group that helps people leaving prison find jobs. This project, called Process Collettivo, helps raise awareness about the prison system. It also shows how social cooperatives can help people.
In 2019, Mark Bradford created a special image of a police body camera. It was called "Life Size." Money from selling these prints went to the Art for Justice Fund. This fund helps people who are returning home from prison. This project raised over $1 million.
In 2020, Bradford worked with Snap Inc. to create a special lens for the Snapchat app. This lens encouraged young users to register to vote.
Also in 2020, Bradford created three billboards in Fort Worth, Texas. These billboards showed images of Mr. LaMarr, a popular hairdresser from the 1970s and 80s. This project brought art directly into the community.
Art + Practice
In 2013, Mark Bradford, Eileen Harris Norton, and Allan DiCastro started Art + Practice. This organization is in Leimert Park. It helps people get involved with the arts. It also supports young people (18-24 years old) who are leaving foster care.
Bradford and his partners live in South Los Angeles. They saw how a lack of resources affected their community. They created Art + Practice to help young people. It teaches them about art and practical skills. This helps them change their lives and their community.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
Mark Bradford has shown his art in many places. In 2001, his collages made from hairdressing end-papers were in the 'Freestyle' exhibition. This show featured 28 African American artists at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Using hairdressing end-papers connects to his past job as a hairdresser.
He has exhibited at the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Royal Academy in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Liverpool Biennial (2006), the Sao Paulo Biennial (2006), and the Whitney Biennial (2006). He also showed his work at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2011) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2012).
In 2015, Mark Bradford presented "Tears of a Tree" in Shanghai, China. In June 2015, 'Mark Bradford: Sea Monsters' traveled from the Rose Art Museum to the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands.
Also in 2015, Bradford had his first solo museum show in Los Angeles. It was called 'Scorched Earth' at the Hammer Museum. This exhibition showed new paintings and multimedia art.
In May 2017, Mark Bradford represented the United States at the 57th International Art Exhibition in Venice. His exhibition, called 'Tomorrow Is Another Day,' received great reviews. People even called him 'our Jackson Pollock.'
In March 2018, Mark Bradford had his first gallery show in Hong Kong. It featured new large paintings. Some of these works used merchant posters found on the streets.
In February 2018, 'Mark Bradford: New Works' opened in Los Angeles. This was his first gallery show in his hometown in over 15 years. It explored abstract painting and social topics.
In September 2018, The Baltimore Museum of Art showed 'Tomorrow Is Another Day' again. This was the same exhibition from Venice. As part of the show, Bradford worked with children from a community center. They made silkscreened merchandise to sell. All the money went back to the center.
In July 2019, the Long Museum in Shanghai, China, opened 'Mark Bradford: Los Angeles.' This was his biggest show in China. It included a new sculpture and large paintings about the Watts riots in Los Angeles in 1965. The museum made admission free for this exhibition.
In October 2019, Hauser & Wirth opened ‘Cerberus’ in London. This exhibition had nine large paintings and a video. The title comes from the three-headed dog in Greek mythology.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020, Bradford had an online exhibition. It was called "Quarantine Paintings." It showed three paintings he made during lockdown.
In July 2021, Mark Bradford had a solo exhibition called ‘Masses & Movements’ in Menorca, Spain. It included globe sculptures and wall paintings. It also had paintings based on an old map from 1507.
In November 2021, Bradford opened ‘Agora’ in Portugal. This exhibition showed his work from the past three years. It included new paintings based on old tapestries and his Quarantine Paintings.
From 2024 to 2025, the Pérez Art Museum Miami is showing 'Every Shape Is a Sound of Time.' This exhibition includes Mark Bradford's work.
Awards and Recognition
Mark Bradford has received many important awards for his art.
- In 2002, he received a grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
- In 2003, he won the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award.
- In 2006, he received the United States Artists fellowship.
- Also in 2006, he won the Bucksbaum Award from The Whitney Museum of American Art.
- In 2009, he received a grant from the MacArthur Fellows Program. This is also known as the "MacArthur Genius Award."
- In 2013, he was elected as a National Academician by the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts.
- In 2015, he received the US Department of State's Medal of Arts.
- In 2016, Bradford was given the High Museum of Art's David C. Driskell Prize.
- In 2017, WSJ magazine honored him as their Art Innovator.
- In 2019, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences welcomed Mark Bradford as a new member.
- In 2021, the American Academy of Arts and Letters inducted him as a new member.
- In 2021, Time magazine included him in their list of the 100 Most Influential People.
- In June 2024, the Los Angeles Times featured Bradford in its "L.A. Influential" series. They called him a "creator who is leaving their mark" in Los Angeles.
- In October 2024, Bradford received the 2023 National Medal of Arts.
Art Market
Mark Bradford's artworks are very valuable. In 2015, his collage Constitution IV (2013) sold for $5.8 million at Phillips auction house. This was a record for the artist at the time. Just months before, Smear (2015) sold for $4.4 million at Sotheby's.
In March 2018, a huge painting called Helter Skelter I sold for $12 million. This set a new record for Mark Bradford. It was also the highest price ever paid at auction for a living African American artist's work.
