Mark Bradford

May 28, 2011 – Sep 18, 2011

Images

Mark Bradford, Scorched Earth, 2006. Billboard paper, photomechanical reproductions, acrylic gel medium, carbon paper, acrylic paint, bleach, and additional mixed media on canvas; 94 1/2 x 118 in. (240 x 299.7 cm). Collection of Dennis and Debra Scholl
Photo: Bruce M. White

About

This exhibition is the first survey of the artist’s work to date. Spanning the years 2001 to 2010, it examines Mark Bradford’s work in all media, beginning with his early sculptural projects, and culminating in a number of new commissions. Deeply influenced by his experience growing up in South Central Los Angeles, the titles of his works often allude to stereotypes and the dynamics of class, race, and gender-based economies that structure urban society in the United States, specifically those of Los Angeles where he lives and works.

An anthropologist of his own environment, Bradford describes himself as a “modern-day flaneur,” saying, “I like to walk through the city and find details and then abstract them and make them my own. I’m not speaking for a community or trying to make a sociopolitical point. At the end it’s my mapping. My subjectivity.” The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by the curator, an interview with the artist, and three commissioned essays by specialists in the field. The exhibition is organized by the Wexner Center for the Arts.

Installation images

Installation view, Mark Bradford, MCA Chicago, May 28–Sep 18, 2011
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Funding

Additional support is provided by Cari and Michael Sacks, Helen and Sam Zell, Robert and Sheryl Bellick, the Broad Art Foundation, Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Kovler Family Foundation, Liz and Eric Lefkofsky, Susan and Lew Manilow, Kim and Brad Keywell, Marilyn and Larry Fields, Gary and Denise Gardner, the Good Works Foundation, Nora Daley Conroy and Sean Conroy, Susan and Larry Marx, Linda Johnson Rice, and Desiree Rogers. Support for The Mark Bradford Project is generously provided by Helen and Sam Zell, The Joyce Foundation, Sara Lee Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, and The Broad Art Foundation.

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