Thomas C. Bradley: Trophies Unlimited

A tribute to the graphic byproduct of late capitalism.

For the last decade Bradley has extended his craft across multiple disciplines with a focus on graphic design and typography. In 2017 Thomas Bradley quit his full time job in advertising and started painting.

“Why painting? The permanence and perceived sacred qualities of it. In design and advertising, the longest lasting thing one can ever expect to create will only last as long as the client decides to keep it around. Campaigns end, seasons change, products become obsolete, packaging rules shift, companies get rebranded, and they fold. Paintings stick around though. Even if they end up in a thrift store, they're still around. I love thrift store paintings.” ––Thomas Bradley, artist.

After a successful first opening in New York the Summer of 2017, Bradley has created a body of work that draws upon an endless supply of visual reference. His sources vary from corporations to modern masters, from fine art to clip art, smashing together bits of our ever-increasing wealth of graphic material. He has sifted through the visual detritus of consumerist culture, extracted a few choice samples, and invites you to find new meaning and beauty in these specimens.

Lauren Prado: Schemes, the American Dream, and the Kardashians

The Kardashians are everywhere!  The millennial reincarnations of the American Dream made flesh. Constantly creating curated content for viewers/consumers to mimic. Forever in a cycle of desire via social media. Chasing image based #lifestylegoals! Are we all being scammed by glitz? Mimicry as a business strategy? Mirror tricks that trap us in capitalism? Indoctrinated into believing in digital transparency? 

Artist Bio:

Lauren Prado is an artist living and working in Portland, Oregon. Prado received her BFA from La Sierra University, Riverside, CA, in 2014 and her MFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, in 2019. The artist taught high-school art for a few years at an Ipad only school which gave her a glimpse of how millennials are truly obsessed with the internet. Prado is currently tufting rugs that are representations of popular imagery that have been screenshot from social media platforms. The rugs are a starting point for a larger conversation about #lifestylegoals, celebrity, mimicry, and desire. august 2019

IVAN SALCIDO: For Eva & 3V4

In his exhibition For Eva: & 3V4, Ivan Salcido honors the legacy of his grandmother, who toured nationally with her successful Mexican basketball team while she was young. In his vibrant exhibition Salcido combines painting, neon lights and installation elements, as well as a 48” tall playing card. The recipient of an RACC grant, Salcido retroactively designed memorabilia for his grandmother and her championship team. He incorporates imagery from the past and present of Mexican basketball to commemorate successes that might otherwise be forgotten, while encouraging wider discussions of cultural preservation. july 2019

Tony Aguero: MIEDO (Fears)

Tony Aguero moved to the United States six years ago from Costa Rica. MIEDO was inspired by navigating life in the United States. The show uses several mediums to explore the concept of fear; both personal and cultural.

“This show is the culmination of a year’s work. Part of my inspiration came from realizing that living in the United States, I had new fears that aligned with what I felt were collective fears unique to this country. I wanted to juxtapose the current environment against old themes and family values promoted by certain brands in the 70’s.”

The show is a testament to the fact that despite being deeply personal, fears are also widespread and cultural - from mass shootings to mass surveillance, nuclear war, racial profiling, environmental catastrophe, call-out-culture, loss of love and belonging - how do we cope in an age of anxiety?

“I started writing down my fears and creating images to express them. As I worked and developed the pieces, I was having conversations with friends who began sharing their fears with me as well. I realized how extreme some of these fears were and felt compelled to capture not only my experiences, but why someone else might feel afraid… how their life is shaped and affected by fear.”

Each drawing in the series tells an individual story. The black and white series was created as a collage of thoughts and imagery. Tony’s hope is that people see his work and reflect on the ways things are around them, reflect on themselves and their surroundings, and how our own behaviours might impact each other’s sense of safety and community.

In the end, his message is simple - we are all humans with hopes and fears, with different opinions and ideologies. june 2019