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Almine Rech

Joe Bradley

In the late nineties, Joe Bradley settled in New York where his subject matter shifted from landscapes to abstraction with the intention « to inject a bit of irony »[1] into his work, as the artist explained. Bradley's style soon crystallized in a series of ‘Modular’ paintings comprised of monochromatic rectangles assembled in anthropomorphic shapes. While producing these geometric totems, Bradley simultaneously continued his drawing and painting practice, establishing a dialogue with his monochromes that culminated with his ‘Schmagoo Paintings’. Despite the ostensibly reductive and nonfigurative aspects of his work, Bradley's biomorphic forms and symbols consistently produce a sense of familiarity. His black silhouettes of dancing figures, abstract oil compositions featuring overlapping colors and shapes, and more recent ‘Cave’ paintings - made up of blocks of colored oil stick applied to exposed canvas - continue to evince his characteristically  expressionistic and rudimentary aesthetic. Evolving like a chameleon painter in a range of styles, Bradley has also begun recently to experiment with figurative forms in sculpture.

[1] Joe Bradley, interview with Eric Troncy, 'FROG', Fall-Winter 2014-2015

Selected artworks

  • Joe Bradley,                                      To be titled, 2015

    Joe Bradley To be titled, 2015

    Mixed media on canvas
    195,6 x 182,9 cm
    77 x 72 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2011

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2011

    Graphite on paper
    80 x 60 cm 
    31 1/2 x 23 5/8 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2011

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2011

    Mixed media on paper
    65 x 50 cm
    25 5/8 x 19 5/8 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2011

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2011

    Mixed media on paper
    65 x 50 cm
    25 5/8 x 19 5/8 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2011

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2011

    Mixed media on paper
    65 x 60 cm
    25 5/8 x 19 5/8 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Head with Pipe, 2011

    Joe Bradley Head with Pipe, 2011

    Mixed media on canvas
    162,6 x 177,8 cm
    64 x 70 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Mash Potato, 2011

    Joe Bradley Mash Potato, 2011

    Mixed media on canvas
    195,6 x 228,6 cm
    77 x 90 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Big Indian, 2011

    Joe Bradley Big Indian, 2011

    Mixed media on canvas
    241,3 x 299,7 cm
    95 x 118 in

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2009

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2009

    Pencil on paper
    29,7 x 13,7 cm (framed)
    12 1/8 x 10 1/8 in (framed)

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2009

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2009

    Pencil on paper
    25,4 x 20,32 cm (framed)
    12 1/8 x 10 1/8 in (framed)

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Untitled, 2009

    Joe Bradley Untitled, 2009

    Pencil on paper
    27,9 x 21,6 cm (framed)
    13 1/8 x 10 5/8 in (framed)

  • Joe Bradley,                                      Susan, 2010

    Joe Bradley Susan, 2010

    Oil, spraypaint and mixed media on canvas
    139,7 x 254 cm
    55 x 100 in

Videos

  • Portrait of an Artist - JOE BRADLEY

Selected press

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