This episode is created in cooperation with the Independent 20th Century art fair. It will be part of the fairs OVR.

Brad Kahlhamer is an artist of indigenous descent, adopted by German-American parents. Being a free spirit, a wanderer and a person with unquenchable curiosity, profoundly shaped his multidisciplinary work. Kahlhamer's art often incorporates themes and imagery from indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest and Southwest, aiming to modernize traditional forms and present them in a contemporary context. In the early 1990s, he used materials like inner tube rubber for sculptures and later transitioned to oil paintings, characterized by thick layers, song lyrics, and primitive figures. His integration of ledger drawings, viewed by him as America’s first graphic novels, is a significant aspect of his work.

Growing up in Arizona, Brad enjoyed a childhood filled with freedom and outdoor adventures, which later fueled his creative expression. Music was integral to his early life, and he pursued it alongside visual arts, deeply influenced by differents bands and musical styles from rock, beat and soul to punk.

In the early 1980s, Kahlhamer moved to New York to immerse himself in the vibrant art scene. There, he worked at Topps Chewing Gum, where he met Art Spiegelman and became involved in the underground comic scene.

Currently, Kahlhamer is working on the Nomadic Studio project, creating a series of 100 Moleskine notebooks filled with drawings and ideas.

Kahlhamer's art uniquely fuses his personal history, and a wide array of cultural influences, making it both deeply personal and broadly resonant. His work spans various media, including monumental paintings, intricate sculptures, installations, and drawings, drawing inspiration from cartoons, pop art, graphic novels, indigenous art, and his prolific sketchbooks.

Brad will showcase paintings and drawings from the 1990s at the Independent 20th Century with Venus Over Manhattan and has a solo show planned with the gallery in 2025.

Recorded July 23, 2024, 32 min., language english, artist portrait Doug Miles

https://www.independenthq.com/ https://bradkahlhamer.net/

https://www.venusovermanhattan.com/artists/brad-kahlhamer Your host: https://van-horn.net Instagram: @independent_hq @bradkahlhamer

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