Hall of Art Graz

Mysterious bodies in the water and under the stars

New Yorker Katherine Bradford is one of the most important painters on the US art scene. Her first institutional exhibition in Europe can now be seen at the Halle für Kunst Graz. An impressive encounter.

Katherine Bradford has been exploring the mechanisms and possibilities of painting for years. First in oil, then with the stronger and faster acrylic paints, she captured human bodies on canvas that have ambiguous stories to tell. The artist is not interested in depicting individuals, as evidenced by the lack of faces, but in very fundamental questions, an abstract image of society, so to speak.

Togetherness, mutual support, trust and inspiration are important to the artist, even after all these years of dealing with her subjects. She deliberately chooses the different shades of skin color. Even the touches in her pictures are not accidental.

The search for her own form
"American Odyssey" is the title of this exhibition, which refers not least to the artist's search and experimentation. Curator Sandro Droschl has selected 15 key works for Graz since 2015. In addition, there are 23 completely new paintings that were created for this exhibition. This also tells us about the speed at which Bradford paints. 

Bradford deliberately plays with quotes from art history (especially Matisse) or draws inspiration from artist friends. She likes geometric shapes as well as playing with transparency. Underlying everything, however, is a comprehensive humanism, an immensely positive statement.

Surprise in the cellar
The way the works are presented is also exciting. In the main room, the works enjoy undivided attention thanks to the generous hanging. In the cellar, a surprising design awaits, in which the small-format pictures are made to shine.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalog, all information about the show can be found on the website of the Halle für Kunst in Graz.