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 in 1961) is a famous American artist. He was born, lives, and works in Los Angeles, California. He also studied art there at the California Institute of the Arts.
Bradford is best known for his amazing collage paintings. These artworks have been shown all over the world. He also creates videos, prints, and art installations. In 2017, he represented the United States at a big art show called the Venice Biennale. Time magazine even named him one of the 100 most influential people in 2021!
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Mark Bradford grew up in South Los Angeles. His mom owned a beauty salon in Leimert Park. When he was 11, his family moved to Santa Monica. But his mom kept her business in the old neighborhood.
Mark sometimes helped out at her salon. After he finished high school, he became a licensed hairdresser. He then worked at his mom's salon.
Bradford started college at Santa Monica College. Later, he went to the California Institute of the Arts. He graduated in 1991 when he was 30 years old. He earned two degrees in fine arts there.
How Mark Bradford Creates Art
Bradford is famous for his abstract paintings. They often look like grids. He mixes collage with paint in his art. His works are made from many layers of paper and cords.
He uses different tools and ways to create his art. He might carve, tear, shred, glue, or sand the layers. He even uses a power-washer sometimes!
Throughout his career, Bradford has collected "merchant posters." These are printed ads found in neighborhoods. They advertise things like housing, jobs, or legal help. Bradford uses these posters in his art.
Famous Artworks
In 2006, Bradford painted Scorched Earth and Black Wall Street. These works were about the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. He made another painting about it in 2021 called Tulsa Gottdamn.
His collage Orbit (2007) shows a basketball in the middle. It's surrounded by a tangled pattern of Los Angeles streets. The art looks like a city seen from above. The tiny streets seem to be falling apart.
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 tall and 9 feet wide. This artwork reminds some people of burned car windshields. It shows how the artist uses layers of found materials. He slices, sands, and glues them until they are changed.
Bradford also creates videos, prints, and installations. His installation Mithra (2008) was a huge ark. It was made from salvaged 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. He put many layers of colored paper, paint, and rope on a 60-foot wall. Then, he sanded, peeled, and cut parts away. This created a textured artwork.
That same year, Bradford created Waterfall (2015). This artwork used leftover paper and rope. These pieces were pulled from a "pull painting." The process created long, colorful ribbons of paper. They showed the many layers of the original artwork.
Also in 2017, Bradford made 150 Portrait Tone. This was a wall painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It included words from a 911 call. The title refers to the pink paint color used. It makes you think about who is being shown in art.
Special Art Projects
In 2014, Bradford created a large artwork for the Los Angeles International Airport. It is called "Bell Tower." This huge, four-sided work is made from wood. It is covered with colorful printed paper. It looks like the handbill-covered walls that inspire Bradford.
In 2017, Bradford created Pickett's Charge. This huge artwork was for the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. It is based on a famous painting of the Battle of Gettysburg. This artwork is 400 feet long. It is one of Bradford's biggest site-specific works.
Also in 2017, Mark Bradford installed We The People. This artwork is at the US Embassy in London. It shows parts of the US Constitution. The large painting has 32 separate canvases. It covers an entire wall in the embassy.
In 2018, a huge new artwork by Bradford was shown. It is at the University of California, San Diego. It is called "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT." This artwork is 195 feet tall. It is the tallest structure on the campus. It shows how technology affects communication.
Other Creative Works
In 2009, the Getty Museum asked Bradford to work with teachers. He brought 10 other artists to help. They created free lesson plans for K-12 teachers.
In 2018, Bradford's artwork was featured. An image of his work Here was on the program for Princess Eugenie of York's wedding. The artwork was also on the sashes worn by the bridesmaids and pageboys.
In 2019, Bradford created a special image. It was of a police body camera, called "Life Size." Money from selling these prints helped people leaving prison. This project raised over $1 million.
In 2020, Bradford worked with Snap Inc. He created a special lens for the Snapchat app. This helped encourage young people to register to vote.
Also in 2020, Bradford put up three billboards in Fort Worth. These billboards showed pictures of Mr. LaMarr. He was a popular hairdresser in the 1970s and 80s. This project brought art directly into the community.
Bradford also worked with art students in Spain. They explored the global refugee crisis. They used maps of the world and immigration routes. This project helped raise awareness about displaced families.
Art + Practice
In 2013, Mark Bradford started an organization. It is called Art + Practice. He started it with Eileen Harris Norton and Allan DiCastro. It is in Leimert Park. This group helps people get involved with art.
It also helps 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 the community. Art + Practice helps young people learn creative and practical skills. This helps them change their lives and community.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
In 1998, Bradford had his first solo art show. It was called Distribution. It was at a gallery in Los Angeles.
In 2001, Bradford's collages were in a big art show. It was called 'Freestyle' at the Studio Museum in Harlem. His collages used hairdressing end-papers. This was a nod to his past job as a hairdresser.
Bradford's art has been shown in many places. These include the Liverpool Biennial (2006) and the Sao Paulo Biennial (2006). He also showed art at the Whitney Biennial (2006).
In 2014, Bradford showed The King's Mirror. This was a 100-foot-long mural. It had 300 individual artworks. It stayed at the Rose Art Museum for a year.
In 2015, Bradford had his first solo museum show in Los Angeles. It was called 'Scorched Earth' at the Hammer Museum. The show had new paintings and multimedia art.
In 2017, Mark Bradford represented the United States. He showed his art at the La Biennale di Venezia. His exhibition was called 'Tomorrow Is Another Day'. Critics loved it. They even called him 'our Jackson Pollock'.
In 2018, Bradford had his first gallery show in Los Angeles in over 15 years. It showed ten new artworks. These explored abstract painting. One painting was called Moody Blues for Jack Whitten.
In September 2018, 'Tomorrow Is Another Day' was shown again. This time it was at The Baltimore Museum of Art. Bradford worked with children from a community center. They made merchandise for a pop-up shop. All the money went back to the center.
In 2019, the Long Museum in Shanghai, China, had a big show. It was called 'Mark Bradford: Los Angeles'. It was his largest show in China. It featured a new sculpture called “Float.” It also had large paintings about the Watts riots in 1965. The museum made admission free for this show.
In 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford had an online show. It was called "Quarantine Paintings." It showed three paintings he made during lockdown.
Also in 2020, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth had a show. It featured Bradford’s earliest paintings. These were made from endpapers. The show connected his use of endpapers to his later use of other papers.
In 2021, Bradford had a show in Spain. It was called ‘Masses & Movements’. It had globe sculptures and wall paintings. It also had 16 paintings based on an old map from 1507.
In 2024, the Pérez Art Museum Miami will show Bradford's work. It will be part of an exhibition called Every Shape Is a Sound of Time.
Awards and Recognitions
Mark Bradford has received many awards. These include the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant (2002). He also got the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award (2003).
In 2006, he received the Bucksbaum Award. In 2009, he got the MacArthur Fellows Program grant. This is also known as the "MacArthur Genius Award."
In 2013, he was chosen as a National Academician. In 2015, he received the US Department of State's Medal of Arts.
In 2016, Bradford won the High Museum of Art's David C. Driskell Prize. In 2017, WSJ. magazine named him their Art Innovator.
In 2019, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences welcomed him as a new member. In 2021, the American Academy of Arts and Letters also inducted him.
Time magazine included Bradford on their list. He was one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2021.
In 2024, the Los Angeles Times featured Bradford. 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 Success
Mark Bradford's art sells for high prices. In 2015, his collage Constitution IV (2013) sold for $5.8 million. This was a record for his art at the time.
In March 2018, a huge painting called Helter Skelter I sold for $12 million. This was a new record for Bradford. It was also the highest price ever for a living African American artist at auction.
