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JOHN BRADFORD

Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut - MFA Degree in Painting, 1978.
Cooper Union - New York, New York - BFA Degree. Painting. 1971.
Cini Foundation. Venice, Italy - Certificate, 1968.
Philadelphia College of Art - Certificate,1966.
University of Delaware - Certificate, 1965.
 

 

ART | RESUME | STATEMENT | CONTACT

BIOGRAPHY:

I moved to New York in 1967 to attend the Cooper Union, where I studied with Hans Haake, Wolf Kahn, Adja Yunkers, Leland Bell, Paul Georges,   Paul Resika, and others. In the Seventies, I became a founding member of the Bowery Gallery and was a program director for the Figurative Artist's Alliance. These were spirited meetings of artists held every Friday night for more than twenty years over the issues of subject matter and figuration that were similar to the abstract expressionist's eighth street club meetings in the Fifties. At this time I became a Social Democrat, interested in countering the insidious influence of the New Left and counterculture in American cultural life. In the mid Seventies I attained a Master's Degree in painting from Yale, where I studied with Lester Johnson, Andrew Forge and others. I then returned to New York and began my investigations into painting the Biblical narrative as part of a group of artists and political theorists, including Tony Siani, Tom Milstein, and Avi Berkowitz who had focused on the crucial role that monotheism has played in the development of our modern social and political world. I came to believe, and continue to express in my work the idea that there is a link between modern painting's language of reduction and discontinuity on the one hand and the awesome starkness of the Hebrew Bible on the other. In the Eighties I exhibited at Harry Zirlin's Gallery 120 which was associated with the biblical painters group. I have continued to create and exhibit   Biblical narrative paintings through the Nineties while pursuing an extremely gratifying parallel career teaching portfolio development to very gifted high school seniors from Jersey City.    

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

Recent Work. 55 Mercer Gallery. NYC. December 1999.

Current Work. Bethel College. St. Paul, MN. Sept-Dec. 1999.

Paintings. 55 Mercer St. Gallery. NYC. Feb. 1999.

Biblical Themes. Jersey City State College. Jersey City, NJ. 1994.

Biblical Subjects. Ann Arbor Fair. Best in Show Award. Ann Arbor, MI. 1993.

Biblical Paintings. Woodstock Art Assoc. Gallery. Woodstock NY 1992.

Biblical Paintings. Garden of Eden Gallery. Wilmington, DE 1986.

Biblical Subjects. Gallery 120. 120 Lafayette St., NYC. 1984.

Biblical Subjects. Gallery 120. 120 Lafayette St., NYC. 1981.

Recent Work. America West Gallery. Tucson, AZ. 1976.

Watercolors. Ware Gallery. Arden, DE. 1976.                                                            

Recent Works. Bowery Gallery. NYC. 1974.

Recent Works. Bowery Gallery. NYC. 1971.                                                                         .

Recent Works. Williams College. 1969.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

Figurative Painting Now. 55 Mercer Gallery. NYC. Nov. 2000. (Also curator)

The Biblical Painters Group. 55 Mercer Gallery. NYC Sept. 2000. (Also curator)

175 th Annual. National Academy of Design. Thomas B. Clarke Prize. Feb. 2000.

New Members. 55 Mercer Gallery. NYC. Sept. 1999.

Akeida . Traveling group exhibition presented by National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC 1997-1998.

Feast for the Eyes. Educational Alliance NYC. 1998.

Loft Pioneer Show. The Puffin Room. 435 Broome   St. NY, NY 1997.

Art About Ideas. The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ 1996.

171st. Annual Exhibition. National Academy of Design.1083 5th Ave. NY, NY. 1996.

The Quiet Heresy: Biblical Themes in Contemporary Art . Fred Jones Museum, Univ. of Oklahoma. Selected 1996.

25th Anniversary Show . Bowery Gallery, NYC. 1994

Faculty Show .Woodstock School of Art. Woodstock, NY .1994-98

Woodstock Artists. Mark Gruber Gallery. New Paltz, NY. 1994

Studio Scenes. Van Vorst Church Gallery. Jersey City, NJ 1993

Figurative Artists. Woodstock Art Assoc. Gallery. Woodstock, NY. 1990-1991.

Figurative Work, Now. Two Worlds Gallery. Warren St., NYC. 1989.

Recent Figurative Trends. Rene DuBois Gallery. E. 11th St., NYC. 1987.

Figurative Artists' Alliance. The Studio School. 8th St., NYC. 1984.

Sacred Discontent: Biblical Subjects by Contemporary Figurative Artists. Gallery 120. 120 Lafayette St., NY NY 1981.

Sacred Discontent II. Gallery 120. 120 Lafayette St., NY NY. 1982

Painted Heads. Gallery 120. NYC. 1981.

Biblical Themes. Gallery 120. NYC. 1980.

Drawing Invitational. Guilford College. Greensboro, NC. 1980.

Artists in the Biblical Tradition . Hudson Guild Gallery. NYC. 1979.

Graduate Degree Show. Yale Gallery. New Haven CT. 1978.            

New Painters at Yale. Yale Gallery. 1976.                                                            

Gallery Members Bowery Gallery. NYC. 1970-1978.

New Figurative Directions. State Univ. at Albany. 1971.

Opening Group Show. Bowery Gallery. NYC. 1970                                                            

Painterly Realism. Traveling Exhibition. American Federation of Arts.

Smith College.1969-70.

PUBLICATIONS:  

"Figurative Painting and Its Ties to Abstract Expressionism". NY Arts . Vol.6 no1, Jan. 2001

"Biblical Artists". The Jewish Press . Richard McBee. Oct. 2000.

"The Biblical Painters". Review Online , Joel Silverstein. Oct. 2000.

"The "Biblical" and the 'Painting' in John Bradford's 'Biblical Paintings.'" Wayne l. Roosa. Olson Gallery Publication. Bethel College. 1999.                                    

Novoye Russkoye Slovo. "Silent Heresy," Leonid Goldin.vol.lxxxvii no 30.278., 9/12/1996.

The New York Times . Art Review, "Honing the Cutting Edge of Conservative Styles." Holland Cotter. July 26, 1996.                                                                        

Art World. "Current Shows." Feb. 3, 1981.                                                                                    

Art News. "Reviews, New York." Lawrence Campbell. April 1974.                                                

Art News. "Reviews, New York." April 1971.

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS:

Thomas B. Clarke Award. 175 th Annual National Academy of Design. Feb 2000

Geraldine   R. Dodge Foundation Grant Artist/ Educator 1995.

Certificate of Recognition, the Governor's Excellence in Teaching Recognition Program, New Jersey Dept.of Education. 1995.

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant for Alternate Route Certification. 1990.

Yale University Scholarship Gift. 1977-78.

Ford Foundation Special Projects Grant. Yale University. 1971. Cooper Union Tuition    Scholarship. 1967-71.            

Cini Foundation Scholarship. Venice, Italy. 1967.                        

TEACHING & LECTURES:

Panel: Figurative Art Now. 55 Mercer Gallery. 11/00.                                                                                                        

Panel: Between Image and Abstraction. Artist's Equity. The Art Student's League. NYC. 3/00   

Visiting Critic and Lecturer: Maryland Institute College of Art. 1998-99.

Lecture: Narrative Painting and the Bible: Storytellers Series. New Jersey City University. 1998.   

Instructor and Lecturer. Woodstock   School of Art. 1994- present

Lecturer. The Ramaz School' "Renaissance Art.". NY., NY 1995- 1999.  

Art Specialist. Visual Arts High School Program. Jersey City, NJ. 1990- present.

English Instructor. American Language Academy, NYC. 1989 - 90

Lecturer. Mount Holyoke College. Spring 1988.

Lecturer. Philadelphia College of Art Graduate Seminar. 1984.

Painting & Drawing Instructor. Studio School. Wilmington, DE. 1977-84.      

Lecturer. Pratt Graduate School of Fine Arts. Spring 1980.            

Lecturer. Education Alliance of Figurative Artists. NYC. 1980-82.

Taught Introductory Drawing, assisting Dean Andrew Forge. Yale College Art Majors. 1977-78.   

Art Teacher. Durham-Middlefield High School. Durham, CT.1978.

Lecturer: "Titian's Rape of Europa." Yale University Dept. of Art History. December 8, 1977.

Scene Painter & Designer. Goldovsky Opera Theater. Summer 1976.

Program Director and Lecturer. Education Alliance of Figurative Artists. 1974 - 75.

Teacher of Filmmaking. Wilmington Public Schools.   Summer 1967.