Deep in the pandemic, visual artist Mark Bradford began work on an epic series called “The Unicorn Tapestries.” It’s inspired by the iconic medieval work of the same name, but created with everyday materials that speak to Mark’s experience: comic book papers, caulk, and other materials from the hardware store, layered and glued and then scratched and etched away to create a tapestry like no other. As he shares each stage of his process in his own words, Mark also shares a mindset that every creative person can apply to their own work: Find what you need to fuel your creativity.
Mark Bradford is one of the most renowned visual artists working today, working in painting, printmaking, video, sculpture, and installation. He was the United States’ 2017 representative to the Venice Biennale, and his work is collected by museums around the world, from LA to Hong Kong. In 2009 he was awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant, among many awards and honors. He is based in Los Angeles and is represented by Hauser & Wirth.
Learn more about Mark Bradford: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2838-mark-bradford/
Visit the Agora Exhibition to see Mark's body of work in an expanded context, along with several other works from 2019–2021. And, check out Museu de Serralves to learn more about “The Unicorn Tapestries” premiere in Porto, Portugal.
Follow along, with transcript and photos, at sparkandfire.com/bradford
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Introducing: Offsite Adventures
Create from joy: Writer Phoebe Robinson on "You Can’t Touch My Hair"
5 ways to handle creative conflict
Get to the fun part: Game creators Matthew Inman and Elan Lee on Exploding Kittens
Trust creates gold: Comedian David Cross on “Arrested Development”
Let emotion be your North Star: Composer Kris Bowers
5 strategies for overcoming failure
Fight for your dream: Comedian Cristela Alonzo
Find the people who see your dream: Actor Aasif Mandvi
Always be iterating: Pomplamoose’s Jack Conte & Nataly Dawn
Take responsibility for your creativity: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
5 strategies for starting something new
Tell a universal truth: “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz
Sweat the details: Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett
Embrace your inner weirdo: Pixar’s Domee Shi on “Turning Red”
Generosity creates magic: “Frozen” songwriters Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Replenish your sense of meaning: Musician Kayhan Kalhor on “Silent City"
Commit to your best work (always!): Novelist Ann Patchett on “The Dutch House”
How to recover your creative voice: Comedian Patton Oswalt on “Annihilation” & “I Love Everything”
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Masters of Scale
Meditative Story
The Federalist Papers
The Turn of the Screw
Should This Exist?