Ananyaa Sathyanarayana // Apr. 4, 2024
A longing for a new concept of the “American Hero” is palpable in the ‘Gertrude Stein and Superman’ exhibition at Haverkampf Leistenschneider gallery in Charlottenburg, which is currently presenting a collection of bold and exuberant works by Katherine Bradford. An artist based in New York City, Bradford is known for her figurative painting, with which she portrays figures in abstract and metaphorical yet delineative ways. Drawing inspiration from abstract expressionism, Bradford develops a contemporary sense of identity. In many of her pieces, the figures have blank or very simple faces, absolving detail. Her fantastical use of vivid colors and loose brushstrokes gives her work a sense of depth, daring us to lose ourselves in the colors and textures alone.
Katherine Bradford: ‘Gertrude Stein and Superman,’ 2024, installation view // Courtesy of the artist and Haverkampf Leistenschneider Berlin
On rare occasions, Bradford also explores the narratives of individual figures. A common reoccurrence within her pieces are motifs of swimmers or superheroes, but in this exhibition, specifically, her portrait of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas takes centerstage. ‘Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas Collect My Work’ portrays Stein in the foreground with Toklas situated a few paces behind her in a bright room filled with Bradford’s works. Stein’s positioning and gaze are straight towards the viewer, making it almost impossible to avoid eye contact. Stein’s inescapable gaze is almost confrontational, despite being a soft, kind look. Bradford here allows for a surprising amount of detail in the portrayal of Gertrude Stein’s facial expressions and eyes, causing them to stand out among the simple or blank faces of all the other figures in the show. Toklas, in the background, is painted more impetuously, turned to the right and presented at a distance, almost giving the impression that she doesn’t want to be part of the image.
Katherine Bradford: ‘Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas Collect My Work,’ 2022, acrylic on canvas, 203.2×172.7×5 cm // Courtesy of the artist and Haverkampf Leistenschneider Berlin
There is a considerable distance between the couple despite their well-documented love for one another. The narrative for ‘Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas Collect My Work’ is at first very straightforward: Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas are collectors of Bradford’s work. It’s a bold assertion made by the artist, but her portrayal of this fact is anything but obvious, especially when considering the details given to the figures. In addition to the curious issue of the space between them, the work also begs the question of why the pair are depicted in colder colors than the rest of the painting. Are they meant to be represented as phantoms, or is it merely a formal choice, to create a distinction between the figures and the colorful background? A closer look at the painting suggests a further separation between Toklas and Stein, as they are placed on different planes of the painting. Stein appears at the very bottom of the painting, while Toklas’ chair sits on orange wooden floorboards behind her. They seem to be in different rooms, or perhaps Stein is sitting in front of a painting depicting Toklas and a collection of Bradford’s works. Despite the relative clarity of the work’s title, Bradford’s layered depiction of the couple’s relationship starts to complicate otherwise simple interpretations.
Katherine Bradford: ‘Gertrude Stein and Superman,’ 2024, installation view // Courtesy of the artist and Haverkampf Leistenschneider Berlin
In line with the topic of American heroes taken up by the show, the exhibition also presents paintings of superheroes, doctors, farmers, astronauts, mothers, alongside celebrated intellectuals like Stein and Toklas. Framed within this context, perhaps the most interesting among the 14 works by Bradford displayed in the gallery is a version of her series of paintings ‘Runaway Wife.’ In an interview with Lights Out Gallery in Maine, Bradford once explained her fascination with this particular heroic figure: “…one time my mother said to me, she was very against me being an artist. She thought that I was already a wife and mother and that it would get in the way, which is not unreasonable for her to think…and she said ‘Now Kat, just like how long are you going to do this, I mean, this painting thing? When does it stop?’ I said ‘Mom, I just want to do one really good painting.’” Not wanting to be held down by the roles of wife and mother, Bradford gained a sense of independence through her practice. For her, ‘Runway Wife’ is likely the most heroic figure of all the paintings in this exhibition. The work might be the most personal to Bradford’s own sense of identity, in the way that it depicts her own freedom from these patriarchal roles.
Katherine Bradford: ‘Runaway Wife,’ 2024, acrylic on canvas, 40.64 x 50.8 cm // Courtesy of the artist and Haverkampf Leistenschneider Berlin
The tone of ‘Runaway Wife’ reminds me of the famous 1948 painting ‘Christina’s World’ by American painter Andrew Wyeth. While Bradford’s piece is deeper in color and more expressive, the moods of both works resonate somehow. Both figures are dressed similarly, and we see the farm houses in the distance. ‘Christina’s World’ is a depiction of Anna Christina Olson, who the artist saw crawling across a field from the window of his house. She had Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, a degenerative muscular disorder that left her unable to walk. Firmly opposing the idea of a wheelchair, she resolved to crawl everywhere instead. Inspired, Wyeth decided to create this painting using both Olson and his wife, Betsy, as models for the painting. ‘Runaway Wife,’ while heavily abstracted compared to the realism of ‘Christina’s World,’ reads like an extension of the narrative here, as though Olson has taken off in flight. In this light, the painting presents a multi-faceted portrayal of freedom, and helps to further Bradford’s understanding of a heroic act.
Katherine Bradford: ‘Gertrude Stein and Superman,’ 2024, installation view // Courtesy of the artist and Haverkampf Leistenschneider Berlin
‘Gertrude Stein and Superman’ hints at the different meanings of heroism today, questioning our established cultural measurements. Is heroism solely about our impact on the world or can it be, more simply, an expression of our ability to be free? Adding nuance to the topic, Bradford’s works show a range of powerful figures, from superman to Stein and Toklas, to an unknown woman in search of her personal freedom.
Exhibition Info
Haverkampf Leistenschneider
Katherine Bradford: ‘Gertrude Stein and Superman’
Exhibition: Mar. 14–Apr. 20, 2024
haverkampfleistenschneider.com
Mommsenstraße 67, 10629 Berlin, click here for map
