Anna Zorina Gallery is pleased to announce this place, this time, Bradley Hart’s fourth solo exhibition with the Gallery. With this latest body of work, the artist continues his theme of examining the experience of being in the presence of art. The new series turns the focus towards representing paintings at the moment they are hitting the auction block. It is at this precise moment that the paintings are presented to a public audience for the last time.
With this place, this time, Hart expands on his signature subject matter of exploring the unique meaningful connections forged when experiencing artwork in person. His latest body of work depicts a selection of masterpieces that are now held in private collections worldwide. This thematic focus highlights how the acquisition of historically important artworks marks a turning point where the public will no longer have access to personal interactions with each piece.
The artist’s style emphasizes the ability to be in person with these paintings and enjoy their physicality. A notable feature embodied by his oeuvre is an alluring tactility, with his Injection series he fills each bubble wrap cell with paint to produce a grid of colorful hemispheres encased in plastic. The byproduct of this process forms the Impression series which are paintings comprised of a solid layer of acrylic drips punctured by delicate pin pricks from the syringe. With his painting method, Hart creates his own distinctive and reimagined encounter to the familiar art historical paintings.
The way in which we view artwork is now largely from digital platforms. Bradley Hart investigates this ever-changing concept of how we encounter and engage with artworks a step further through his unique painting method. By incorporating the grid-like nature of bubble wrap as the basis of his work he endows a pixilated effect to the paintings even when viewed in person. Hart creates a physical representation of how masterpieces are viewed when out of sight to a public audience. In this way, he creates a painting that is at home in the online sphere while also presenting as a digital-reference that has a satisfying tactility to enjoy in person.
Hart begs an interesting question; what place does the experience of physical art occupy in the contemporary digital world and will it be supplanted by an alternative or augmented reality?
Recognizing a desire to take part in memorializing one’s presence at an event. On the occasion of this place, this time a free NFT POAP (proof of attendance protocol) will be available to visitors for the duration of the show.
For further information, please contact Marie Nyquist at 212-243-2100
or via email at marie@annazorinagallery.com