Mark Bradford

Mark Bradford's paintings fill me with the kind of excitement that can only come when viewing a true masterpiece. They lead contemporary art by the hand as if it was a lost child in the supermarket. Think about it: when have you ever seen something so fundamental as repeated rectangles? Gestalt is the key here; there's a lot of small elements, but its how they come together. His paintings come from that special place where hang ups and imitation move aside to let pure creativity pour forth; they are like the discarded snakeskins of his own consciousnesses. Also note Mark's use of white. Before I said black makes colors scream, Mark Bradford's white spaces are like floodlights from the heavens. Look at all the texture he gets in there with his power sander--never before had I considered the process of collage and decollage until I saw this stuff.