Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist: Brad Kahlhamer
School of Art, Art History & Design
Author
11/05/2021
Added
25
Plays
Description
Kahlhamer is an artist who lives and works in New York City. He was born in Tucson, Arizona, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Fond Du Lac.
His work has been collected by institutions such as the Denver Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.
Kahlhamer’s art lives at the crossroads of real and imaginary worlds. Born to Native parents and adopted by a German-American family, he spent his early adulthood as a musician living on the road before settling in New York City.
Shaped by this nomadic history, his work explores the particularities of the American landscape, the desert ecology of the Southwest, the parks and waterways of the upper Midwest, and the gritty streets of the urban Northeast — often fusing references to multiple regions within a single work of art.
The School of Art, Art History and Design’s Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist and Scholar Lecture Series brings notable artists, scholars and designers to Nebraska each semester to enhance the education of students. Learn more about the series.
Underwritten by the Hixson-Lied Endowment with additional support from other sources, the series enriches the culture of the state by providing a way for Nebraskans to interact with luminaries in the fields of art, art history and design.
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- [00:00:00.680]brad kahlhamer: They.
- [00:00:04.680]got it.
- [00:00:06.320]brad kahlhamer: The.
- [00:00:08.160]brad kahlhamer: The bottom was a very odd.
- [00:00:12.560]brad kahlhamer: What was that I.
- [00:00:14.760]brad kahlhamer: had seen I was up at the blackfoot reservation i'd seen as very odd kind of what is that a cutaway of ants you know the ant hill thing what is that call for some reason that was in this museum that just struck me as odd so that's what i'm.
- [00:00:30.120]brad kahlhamer: going for on the bottom.
- [00:00:31.800]Aaron Holz: A diorama with layers.
- [00:00:33.280]brad kahlhamer: yeah and it's sort of cut by plexiglas you know and, for some reason it was about worms so I just thought it was such an odd you know, obviously it was like just a donation something very random ends up in this museum and you're like why you know just.
- [00:00:49.640]brad kahlhamer: just struck me, and so you know very American in a way yeah This is very hybrid odd combination of.
- [00:01:05.360]Aaron Holz: moving into the bedsheet works and thinking about bedsheets in a lot of ways, but just move on to an image and let you.
- [00:01:11.800]Go.
- [00:01:14.840]brad kahlhamer: So the bed sheets were really I think around 2000 and.
- [00:01:21.600]brad kahlhamer: Now you know, things are really picking up again and well i've always the travels always been a central part of my practice, but I wanted to get this.
- [00:01:32.040]brad kahlhamer: This idea was thinking about I think it was at the Nelson Atkins museum and I was talking to gaylord torrance and he was showing me the collection and I started looking at.
- [00:01:42.600]brad kahlhamer: The lakota winter counts, you know which were the linens that within folded up and put in the park park flashing.
- [00:01:48.840]brad kahlhamer: Take it on the horse and I was like well my version of that is a linen bedsheet on taken on my carry on because i'm just in the habit of doing carry on I don't really check luggage luggage ever and and this spreadsheet this particular one was flown out to sonoma California I.
- [00:02:10.920]brad kahlhamer: Have a friend who has a ranch out there and I started the bed sheet there, then I flew to.
- [00:02:16.920]brad kahlhamer: Northern Minnesota was part of a whole leg and worked on it at Erin spangler house up in a park rapids and now finally finished it in New York City, and this was just featured in the.
- [00:02:34.200]brad kahlhamer: In the booth at the armory recently and now it's going to St Louis to a foundation, and then on it'll be featured in my show 1159 to tucson.
- [00:02:46.440]brad kahlhamer: This coming March, they just the thing just get yeah, but that was exactly my idea was to take get these things on the ground, you know kind of mobile way, this was the first bedsheet I believe I started this probably in 2008 this include some.
- [00:03:03.360]brad kahlhamer: collage and probably a little more spray paint at that time yeah it was.
- [00:03:14.040]brad kahlhamer: This was a first I really liked it was kind of a it was a revelation for me and then I was when you think I think this is ballpoint pen and all sorts of things.
- [00:03:25.680]Aaron Holz: And it looks like push pins they just they're attached to a wall.
- [00:03:30.080]brad kahlhamer: yeah I still do that.
- [00:03:32.800]brad kahlhamer: In fact i'll be featuring a brand new tarp.
- [00:03:39.120]brad kahlhamer: In the April show, and that will be tasked with you know those Heads I just like the this sort of.
- [00:03:46.640]brad kahlhamer: go forward attitude, you know you're not you're not being too precious about anything it's just it's just really the impulses, the main thing is to get something up and on on the sheet so that it's a very you know pure gesture as quickly as possible.
- [00:04:02.240]brad kahlhamer: So this that this please pay me, so I can pay them, which was a little sign on my dad's desk he was in construction for many years, I thought that was appropriate.
- [00:04:13.640]brad kahlhamer: This is a rather large I think it's queen or King size, she which I had up in St Paul.
- [00:04:22.720]brad kahlhamer: In this nation of one, and this is acquired for their collection which i'm super grateful for, but this is probably you know, one of the this is me at my.
- [00:04:36.720]brad kahlhamer: Well i'm in the flow.
- [00:04:38.680]brad kahlhamer: it's just a kind of you know subconscious stream and then the narration is again based on the American Indian legend drugs, which is typically we're feats of spiritual spiritual acknowledgement and.
- [00:04:55.080]brad kahlhamer: warrior feet.
- [00:04:59.160]Aaron Holz: In the nomadic studio so this this is your project that is been going to.
- [00:05:05.960]Aaron Holz: tell us a little bit about it, maybe i'll.
- [00:05:08.080]Aaron Holz: i'll let you speak about it.
- [00:05:10.440]brad kahlhamer: Yes, actually, I have one right here they're always at hand.
- [00:05:14.600]brad kahlhamer: This is the latest one.
- [00:05:17.400]brad kahlhamer: and
- [00:05:18.960]brad kahlhamer: timing, this is not finished, but you'll see.
- [00:05:24.320]brad kahlhamer: there's a This is just me on the deal just rolling it out.
- [00:05:31.280]brad kahlhamer: Big dream catcher This is something i'm working on the studio so this would be literally like that kind of architectural sketch for what's going on.
- [00:05:41.880]brad kahlhamer: And I can do these at CAFE street sing.
- [00:05:47.080]brad kahlhamer: it's just really kind of a you know, the French concept of the flan or you know you're you're constantly observing this particular one screen here sitka Alaska so I had, I was very fortunate to be asked to go up to.
- [00:06:03.600]brad kahlhamer: Alaska to teach in this case, it was the last boarding school, which is mount edgecombe high school and and it just happens to be a fantastic Museum in this, you know rather small town which I visit when I wasn't teaching, I think it was up there for a week was a very intensive tone.
- [00:06:24.120]brad kahlhamer: And these are mole skins of its size are about five by eight you can put them in your code or you know carry it so i'm happy to say i'm coming up on around 96.
- [00:06:38.240]brad kahlhamer: sketchbooks total.
- [00:06:39.960]brad kahlhamer: When I hit that century mark of 100 I would love to get these on a road.
- [00:06:45.640]brad kahlhamer: down the road and kind of a traveling you know show here's omaha so this I would have been about the time what would have been the time I was there for the Venus art Center.
- [00:07:01.320]brad kahlhamer: In New York City, this was, I think, when I say, maybe last year.
- [00:07:07.920]brad kahlhamer: Probably last.
- [00:07:09.760]brad kahlhamer: Summer for a bit that's looking down towards Wall Street.
- [00:07:14.160]Aaron Holz: your thoughts on the changing.
- [00:07:17.600]Aaron Holz: architectural landscape of the city in that in as many decades as you've been there.
- [00:07:22.520]brad kahlhamer: wow changes so fast it's hard to really have any thoughts it's just it's it's an ongoing you know it's almost like New York City is just this massive work in progress is no one real fix I mean certainly there's you know there's architectural jewels and and things like that.
- [00:07:40.720]brad kahlhamer: And I was recently involved in a pitch with snow head up that amazing architectural we were.
- [00:07:47.520]brad kahlhamer: told other story, but I was able to go into their offices and you know meet.
- [00:07:53.240]brad kahlhamer: me and it's just that is such an amazing art form it's highly collaborative, though, which is kind of not my thing, but it was just a.
- [00:08:02.000]brad kahlhamer: Fantastic thing to see how their they really think in terms of 50 years you know these buildings have to last and 50 years but even that's not a long time for something that's brick and mortar so it really.
- [00:08:14.280]brad kahlhamer: was interesting to work with them, but thoughts yeah yeah it'll just change, you know tomorrow change here's a.
- [00:08:21.960]brad kahlhamer: Okay, this is one of the first oils, I did down in Mesa so I paint I have a double wide trailer trailer park and I painted this out in the carport, and so this was shown in New York City.
- [00:08:34.760]brad kahlhamer: And this will also be going to swap me, which is a show and doing.
- [00:08:40.880]brad kahlhamer: scottsdale contemporary museum opening in March.
- [00:08:47.120]brad kahlhamer: What movie time.
- [00:08:51.360]brad kahlhamer: I have this amazing collector really well all collectors that great I mean it's long but but Francesca on hubbard was shooting.
- [00:09:02.480]brad kahlhamer: A movie in Iceland and I was standing in line at whole foods one day here up the street and Francesca you know she never really calls and she's like brad.
- [00:09:12.560]brad kahlhamer: Come to Iceland you'll be a star why wasn't this stuff but you know I did play a part in the movie but it's just fantastic so i'm i'm like a fishmonger and then and then Marcus here who happens to be francesca's boyfriend is this avenging cowboy and it's just very, very surreal ecological.
- [00:09:38.080]brad kahlhamer: movie sort of ecological justice kind of thing, but then he turns this so that's a flame thrower.
- [00:09:47.600]brad kahlhamer: On the outlaws sets has quite a dramatic Andy Oh, and then I wrote the credit, the rollout song which was really fun.
- [00:09:58.080]Aaron Holz: Is it a movie, we can see it as it exists somewhere if.
- [00:10:01.760]brad kahlhamer: Anyone can see apparently it played at like the one of the Berlin festivals, I have yet to see it I don't know you could you could write this down and trying, you know, Google.
- [00:10:12.600]brad kahlhamer: yeah.
- [00:10:15.320]brad kahlhamer: it'll it'll be 20 minutes you'll never get back.
- [00:10:21.360]Aaron Holz: Then we're going to move into super catchers.
- [00:10:23.920]brad kahlhamer: Yes, yes.
- [00:10:26.160]Aaron Holz: I have a couple questions for you.
- [00:10:27.600]brad kahlhamer: On and.
- [00:10:28.920]Aaron Holz: i'm going to show you pictures first, so this is super catcher vast array and you did do a similar project at joslin three years ago, correct.
- [00:10:40.160]brad kahlhamer: Oh, I didn't know why I did.
- [00:10:42.200]brad kahlhamer: One dream catcher at that bemis and we did show it in their project space.
- [00:10:48.880]brad kahlhamer: But this this 21 seeping was a.
- [00:10:52.760]brad kahlhamer: Total level up on that and so.
- [00:10:57.720]brad kahlhamer: The curator Alice I forgot her last name but.
- [00:11:02.480]brad kahlhamer: Alice great states had contacted me.
- [00:11:06.960]brad kahlhamer: And they had just bought this amazing hotel in downtown Kansas city and they were renovating and developing but they they're also you know our hotel so.
- [00:11:17.600]brad kahlhamer: They wanted to have a somewhat permanent collection.
- [00:11:22.200]brad kahlhamer: But in this case, this is the very famous.
- [00:11:27.040]brad kahlhamer: restaurant, which happens now it's a heritage site, it was who is the President that had the haberdashery in downtown Casey I always mess this up i'm going to say it was Rosa.
- [00:11:37.080]brad kahlhamer: Roosevelt, but I think was no.
- [00:11:39.480]brad kahlhamer: But anyway, he had a table that he had lunch at which is just to the left of this giant dream catcher this at 10 footer.
- [00:11:47.280]brad kahlhamer: And then the back, are these.
- [00:11:50.360]brad kahlhamer: wpa pins which by law have to have to be in place now for five years and, at which time.
- [00:11:57.120]Aaron Holz: It was Truman, by the way, we've been in the chat has told us Truman was the the person.
- [00:12:01.680]brad kahlhamer: To wow who is that person who just.
- [00:12:04.560]Aaron Holz: me thank you, Charlie Friedman.
- [00:12:06.440]brad kahlhamer: Thank you, Charlie Friedman, because I keep going yeah anyway, so I sat and treatments and that's where I, and I felt nothing I didn't.
- [00:12:16.880]brad kahlhamer: Anyway, I was too busy trying to figure out this this super complex hang because you know, obviously there's so much juicy detailing this historic building and then, finally, we decided on this, and this, and then they acquire this as a permanent display, and this is actually working bar.
- [00:12:37.000]Aaron Holz: bread what's interesting to me, is, I think of dream catchers as things you get at truck stops and hang and rearview mirror so.
- [00:12:43.320]brad kahlhamer: we're at yeah.
- [00:12:44.160]Aaron Holz: it's like a horrible kitschy cheesiness to them, and yet.
- [00:12:48.280]Aaron Holz: like this dream catcher actually acts like a real spider web it looks like you could disappear and miss it from a certain angle, it almost becomes.
- [00:12:56.120]Aaron Holz: With the exception of the dancing bells you wouldn't see it at certain angles, so it feels like you found a like I am I, the first one to accuse you of going Thank you you're not supposed to go to dream catchers and you did, and you found a way to elevate it.
- [00:13:10.600]brad kahlhamer: you're the second one, I was.
- [00:13:13.120]brad kahlhamer: I was.
- [00:13:13.880]brad kahlhamer: I was interviewing with Jeffrey gibson and then he was like why they're so kitschy and I was just like Jeffrey I played so much country music in my life, you know bands.
- [00:13:24.200]brad kahlhamer: kitsch doesn't it doesn't affect me, but personally I think that dream catcher in my sense i'm powering up this is like next level, you know dream catchers always super intimate small and yes kitchen items typically.
- [00:13:41.040]brad kahlhamer: But I started thinking, the dream catchers is sort of like the the Campbell soup can have the native world.
- [00:13:46.560]brad kahlhamer: You know and sort of linking them to this.
- [00:13:48.320]brad kahlhamer: War holly and pop kind of cultural cultural thing, and so my aim is, I was traveling to Mexico and I saw the basket re you know.
- [00:13:59.400]brad kahlhamer: Countless deep dish parabolic things pointing towards the heavens that were made popular in that that cheesy movie with what's your name I can't remember.
- [00:14:09.960]brad kahlhamer: talking to God right she wants to, and I saw well, these are you know we can redirect the power of these dream catchers.
- [00:14:19.160]brad kahlhamer: And so, my aim is now i'm working in the studio i'm working on a quite a large one debut in April in New York, and I think that's about number 30 so it's just you know I want to get these things and all points.
- [00:14:34.320]brad kahlhamer: And here, it is this is my dance airplane so I was invited to show.
- [00:14:40.600]brad kahlhamer: At the color art Center and Michelle grabner and.
- [00:14:46.400]brad kahlhamer: And she said, you know what I love your dream catchers can we get a vast array and I was like this space is quite large and grand I said yes, I think this will be a great show and also they have an extensive is it blagdon.
- [00:15:00.800]Aaron Holz: Right, what was the three own all of emory blagged and uh yeah.
- [00:15:05.640]Aaron Holz: healing machines karate of them yeah majority of them.
- [00:15:09.360]brad kahlhamer: The rx so i'd seen that collection and i'd also and it probably in a way subconsciously I was affected by that but also i'm coming from a very foundational you know.
- [00:15:20.280]brad kahlhamer: cultural object, which is the dream catcher that, of course, being heavily influenced, and then I started thinking about my dad who, when my mother mother died about 14 years ago.
- [00:15:29.760]brad kahlhamer: picked up his 10 snips and rivet gun in earnest bought a set of plans for $130 and made this airplane he built that the VW engine which is the front, he has and he's 93 right now.
- [00:15:44.720]brad kahlhamer: So he hasn't his taxi to get on the airplane I don't know if they'll ever get up in the air, but he does, I noticed when we go out to dinner.
- [00:15:52.200]brad kahlhamer: He pushes the potatoes away because there's a wait, you know wait issue isn't went away over I don't know was 35 a Robert up with the weird thing is.
- [00:16:01.920]brad kahlhamer: You know it's it's a fascinating thing to tailed wheel, is one of the wheels off of a kid scooter which he found in the dump and that's the tale.
- [00:16:15.760]brad kahlhamer: it's fascinating it's a great piece of work, a long story short, I saw.
- [00:16:21.600]brad kahlhamer: This is two guys working out their dreams in real time my father's dream is to fly and mine is to populate the world dream catchers so.
- [00:16:32.760]brad kahlhamer: I thought it was an effective show actually i'd love to do it again.
- [00:16:37.320]Aaron Holz: He did he understand the power of it or did he see it, or he must have was he thrilled humbled in different was was.
- [00:16:46.800]Aaron Holz: That he didn't have his plane.
- [00:16:48.480]brad kahlhamer: I think, no I think he's more of a power of one guy he just was happy to see his his plane, and you know he invited some of his experimental.
- [00:16:57.840]brad kahlhamer: Aircraft association Prince EA which is huge thing and discussions to go to which I found fascinating and incredible.
- [00:17:06.000]brad kahlhamer: And so that you know these home builders they're they're a bit like artists are just completely obsessed it's this idea of you know, operating outside you know the license.
- [00:17:16.080]brad kahlhamer: organization organized license things in that because they can you know they were under a certain awake and it was fascinating to see.
- [00:17:24.880]brad kahlhamer: And I think they they were perplexed, you know by the show was I there were other artists in the show but.
- [00:17:31.680]brad kahlhamer: True to his nature very focused on you know, showing us but yeah I think he was privately.
- [00:17:39.280]brad kahlhamer: very happy to be there.
- [00:17:42.360]brad kahlhamer: But he wouldn't tell me that.
- [00:17:46.800]Aaron Holz: Okay here's the boarding school you mentioned in Sydney Alaska tell us a little bit did you have a project with these students and how long were you there.
- [00:17:55.200]brad kahlhamer: I was there a week, as it was an intensive, these are.
- [00:18:00.720]brad kahlhamer: Mostly kids from the surrounding territories that are flowing in because there aren't really there's not really an art facility let's say a very outline village, I was dealing with two types of people is coastal in the interior and the seminal sleep the coastal tribes.
- [00:18:19.120]brad kahlhamer: So they were flowing into sitcom they could be hundreds of miles away.
- [00:18:23.400]brad kahlhamer: And then they come in and my idea was you know we spend most of our time in school we're just you know confined to these like what little nine eight and half by 11 tablets, so I was.
- [00:18:33.600]brad kahlhamer: I was like let's get some meat wrapping paper some huge paint brushes none of my supplies made it up here, we had to go, I had to go to a hardware store and just get you know get stuff and then I had them just get down and dirty and I glued up all these things as a.
- [00:18:51.360]brad kahlhamer: kind of grand finale you know, so this.
- [00:18:56.560]brad kahlhamer: rolling left to right almost like a cartoon thing but it's fascinating to see.
- [00:19:02.040]brad kahlhamer: You know you get a high school kid with a big brush in his or her hand who hasn't really let it go it's like turning the guitar up to 11 you know they really get into it.
- [00:19:13.240]brad kahlhamer: And this is, this is a thing i've used a couple of times it's it's really been affected and, at the end they liked it so much he would pick it up and they they get a kind of.
- [00:19:25.640]brad kahlhamer: honor ceremony for the instructors I think we're three or four of us and here's one of the drummers and I was very touching and really learned a lot about that particular culture and the dance music.
- [00:19:39.240]Aaron Holz: So now we go down back to new Mexico and.
- [00:19:43.600]Aaron Holz: This is a project that you're invited to do, how does this come about.
- [00:19:48.600]Aaron Holz: This is.
- [00:19:51.000]brad kahlhamer: No, this was.
- [00:19:54.200]brad kahlhamer: You know i'm not quite sure, but there's Orlando who's this all Navajo he's young he's the curator director window cleaner this whole entire, this is just a storefront gallery gallery.
- [00:20:09.440]brad kahlhamer: it's only three feet deep it's just a shallow storefront if you've been to gallop it's a very.
- [00:20:16.800]brad kahlhamer: You know dusty kind of hard bitten town it's a it's a border town it's a fringe town, it could feel a bit dangerous everything's a bit dilapidated.
- [00:20:26.560]brad kahlhamer: But when he made the offer them and trying to figure out how I actually met him.
- [00:20:31.280]brad kahlhamer: I jumped at it, because I, you know all through my life i've been traveling from you know to song gallop to let's say Denver, you know points north.
- [00:20:41.440]brad kahlhamer: And so I did this entire body of work again in my carport and just put it in a tube and and you know drove up and and put it up that night we had an opening was kind of a.
- [00:20:53.480]brad kahlhamer: Local street opening there were a couple bands playing, and it was just a very gratifying, you know, had nothing to do with you know the gallery business world selling anything like that.
- [00:21:06.600]brad kahlhamer: super gratifying, and then you know you're you're there for the Community, the Community is coming in they're asking you.
- [00:21:14.600]brad kahlhamer: You know just typical artists questions but.
- [00:21:19.760]brad kahlhamer: You probably don't have the resources are certainly the art school there's no professional art school within you know under.
- [00:21:27.800]brad kahlhamer: Maybe albuquerque.
- [00:21:29.760]Aaron Holz: And this base might be four or five six feet deep.
- [00:21:33.600]brad kahlhamer: it's reaching deep I just brought my tax and tax it up and away, we went for about I don't know, three, four months or weeks or.
- [00:21:44.120]brad kahlhamer: So, but very gratifying I was you know it's a humbling experience you know to do this and you know, nobody knows who you are a lot of people don't care, but then there's those few people are coming out want to be aspiring artists who have no connection to professional art school.
- [00:22:02.320]brad kahlhamer: And you're there, so it was a gratifying.
- [00:22:08.120]brad kahlhamer: Number of these i'll be these drawings i'll be showing at probably swap me, which will be.
- [00:22:14.760]Coming large.
- [00:22:18.280]Aaron Holz: brand Thank you wonderful talk and i'm going to open up to questions on the chat, but I also just want to begin by thinking about where you started, which is leaving Wisconsin with a guitar and heading to a city you didn't know and i've got a lot of.
- [00:22:34.960]Aaron Holz: young artists here a lot of us watercolor and different materials, but i'm sure they're wondering like thoughts for a young artists who is just getting a start.
- [00:22:45.960]Aaron Holz: Absolutely, we do and i'm going to monitor the.
- [00:22:48.480]Aaron Holz: The chat in the meantime for other questions.
- [00:22:50.720]brad kahlhamer: Sure i'm happy to answer anything don't hold back just you know, whatever is on your mind, so do we have a question.
- [00:23:01.200]Aaron Holz: Well, first Mike will you take my question first thoughts for young artists.
- [00:23:06.120]brad kahlhamer: Wait a minute I think there's an age limit.
- [00:23:08.800]If.
- [00:23:10.480]Aaron Holz: Someone has what's your biggest inspiration.
- [00:23:14.200]brad kahlhamer: wow yeah.
- [00:23:18.280]brad kahlhamer: I don't know.
- [00:23:21.800]uh huh.
- [00:23:23.800]brad kahlhamer: it's interesting I don't know why keep it i've been watching this show succession right, which was this intertribal his family, fighting over you know I just like the struggle of you know people and how they treat each other.
- [00:23:38.040]brad kahlhamer: And I guess somehow I equate that to draw in the hand and and you know honesty or dishonesty or pure pure you know i'm constantly playing extremes against each other.
- [00:23:50.000]brad kahlhamer: But as far as a real i'd say terrorism, you know i'm having a great time in New York City, right now, I have a new relationship with a great gallery but going back to Arizona, and just being in that deep time of this like amazing landscape is just.
- [00:24:08.360]brad kahlhamer: As kind of a blow away thing it's so granted so big you can't actually comprehend it, but you can draw it.
- [00:24:16.840]Aaron Holz: So Alex capello asks do you make work every day, how do you find a balance of the never ending feeling of wanting to express yourself will also finding time to rest and refresh.
- [00:24:28.800]brad kahlhamer: wow there is no rest passion game you gotta keep going.
- [00:24:34.440]brad kahlhamer: resting I don't know about that I I.
- [00:24:38.480]brad kahlhamer: Well, the the daily is is that's where the sketch books come in play, because, yes, you, that is a legitimate question your.
- [00:24:45.880]brad kahlhamer: You I mean I spend a lot of time i'm involved now and editing to catalogs both for March deadline and It just seems like i'm change this.
- [00:24:54.640]brad kahlhamer: To my past as as it will be expressed in these catalogs and and yeah around when I do finally get to the studio i'm just happy to you know to work, but I.
- [00:25:06.320]brad kahlhamer: it's essentially it's a it's a compromise, and you know it's a struggle, but once you hit that sweet spot of you know your own time it's it's it's a beautiful thing are so set you're going to really annoy everyone around you, including your family so.
- [00:25:28.240]Aaron Holz: This one question is Elisa roscoe Lopez asked what's your favorite what has been your favorite place to visit.
- [00:25:34.840]brad kahlhamer: And you mentioned early.
- [00:25:36.000]Aaron Holz: On a but are there, others.
- [00:25:39.040]brad kahlhamer: Oh i've been thinking about Paris lately, because I had gone to this.
- [00:25:43.560]brad kahlhamer: Very funny clubs, called the Solomon grundy club if if having I was just there this this afternoon and I was touching talking to a French painter now he he paints she's be calling, you know seems a Paris.
- [00:25:55.760]brad kahlhamer: And not you know, particularly innovative but it just you know this this I don't know that's such a traditional thing to say, Paris, but i'm very happy i'm going to be a resident in this Castle cemetery renard next this coming August so i'm very much looking forward to that.
- [00:26:16.520]brad kahlhamer: But, but in the past, I would say it's probably every residency I did headlines, the Russian bird foundation bemis you know where I really.
- [00:26:28.440]brad kahlhamer: was in beautiful places, but I really had that time to focus on my work in an on an honor interrupted way, and those are the great the best places to visit, in my opinion.
- [00:26:42.120]Aaron Holz: And we have a question, which is what are your best tips for a person just graduating from college, with an art degree.
- [00:26:50.200]hmm.
- [00:26:53.160]brad kahlhamer: Well, I think it's.
- [00:26:56.640]brad kahlhamer: You have to start to track your mind I mean, in one way it's you've got to come up with the work right, you probably need.
- [00:27:03.560]brad kahlhamer: You know if you're an object maker and you're making whether it's paintings or sculptures maybe you need six to 10.
- [00:27:10.960]brad kahlhamer: objects that you're feeling really good about and once that happens you'll start to think about you know what it what it is you're going to have to do.
- [00:27:22.680]brad kahlhamer: To go public it's like taking you know from going private to public there's many steps right.
- [00:27:28.920]brad kahlhamer: So I think it's just feeling confident about what you're doing but simultaneously, I mean anytime in New York here and and you did take a big risk to come here, I didn't know anyone, but you, you have to go out and you have to.
- [00:27:45.120]brad kahlhamer: You have to be be present at these openings and and eventually you'll start feeling comfortable you know being around nice people, whether it be you know artists dealers and whatnot.
- [00:27:57.360]brad kahlhamer: And all the various orbits of the art world which can be.
- [00:28:00.840]brad kahlhamer: You know both disappointing or quite fascinated and you just have to you have to learn to roll with that get a bit of a thick skin and be curious ask questions that's what I did.
- [00:28:15.040]Aaron Holz: And then finally let's end on what's coming up for you tell us a little bit about.
- [00:28:19.960]Aaron Holz: projects and events that you've got on the horizon.
- [00:28:24.080]well.
- [00:28:26.600]brad kahlhamer: there's you know we were coming out of this kogut thing right so two of my biggest shows to museum shows.
- [00:28:34.480]brad kahlhamer: For some reason got pushed into the month of March this coming March, so I have a scottsdale contemporary museum doing a big solo show called swap meet which will open March for and then about two weeks later i'll be going down to tucson are.
- [00:28:54.360]brad kahlhamer: To do 1159 to tucson which, so I was born in tucson at 1159 and I was fascinated with connection 310 to yuma.
- [00:29:04.560]brad kahlhamer: Right, which is that Western and then, so I i'm kind of you know, coming in, on the tail end of that, as a number of works in that particular show will have been influenced from.
- [00:29:17.000]brad kahlhamer: You know that area, even though it's a sculpture called old to sun, which is the very famous movie set that was erected in the 50s and a lot of.
- [00:29:26.400]brad kahlhamer: Things were shot around there so that that will be the to Arizona things i'll have to go back there soon and start you know the final prep for that, but.
- [00:29:37.720]brad kahlhamer: April 7 27th will be the big New York show with garth green and gallery and that i'm starting in the studio i've been working on and off on that for the last year or so and.
- [00:29:50.640]brad kahlhamer: I will be.
- [00:29:52.800]brad kahlhamer: I think i'll just be tired after that I don't.
- [00:29:57.040]brad kahlhamer: want to go fishing up in.
- [00:29:59.400]brad kahlhamer: Minnesota that'll be my big trip.
- [00:30:02.120]Aaron Holz: that's whatever you embark rapids baker yeah, we need to meet up there, and you know.
- [00:30:07.800]brad kahlhamer: it's gonna be fantastic.
- [00:30:09.600]brad kahlhamer: yeah I can take another question, if you want.
- [00:30:12.360]Aaron Holz: Sure um this one comes from was new to.
- [00:30:17.360]brad kahlhamer: Charlie as.
- [00:30:18.000]Aaron Holz: New York for a long time was just focused on the New York school painting, how did you break through that.
- [00:30:23.640]brad kahlhamer: I had to become a New York school painter that he can't break through it just have to be it and that's you know it's it's all.
- [00:30:34.920]brad kahlhamer: I mean it's an inside out game right so you're you're in New York and you're walking down, you know, whether it be the bowery or fifth avenue or whatever you're constantly looking at these windows.
- [00:30:44.760]brad kahlhamer: And you want the same lot the life that you feel those people are we're behind.
- [00:30:49.480]brad kahlhamer: The glass, but in a sense, you are, that person just have to you know, make the right move to the right door talk to the right person and.
- [00:30:58.320]brad kahlhamer: And that's just hanging out in the scene and then, if you can I mean I started painting in the living room of the place, I was originally living at and then gradually was able to get you know some help and get.
- [00:31:12.960]brad kahlhamer: studios and now sadly i'm back to you about only 700 square feet.
- [00:31:18.360]brad kahlhamer: out in bushwick but you know the Arizona space supplements so.
- [00:31:25.120]brad kahlhamer: yeah I think it's just.
- [00:31:29.280]brad kahlhamer: I think you have to come here, you have to be present, you know you have to be a and you owe it to yourself and then you're going to a professional school, so you, you know you want to.
- [00:31:37.880]brad kahlhamer: Make the most and actualize be your best self I hate that phrase, but you know it is kind of that thing right when you have to do that so.
- [00:31:47.200]brad kahlhamer: yeah come out.
- [00:31:49.520]brad kahlhamer: Anything else.
- [00:31:52.280]Aaron Holz: last question we have.
- [00:31:53.280]Aaron Holz: Does your level of culture help you in your everyday work.
- [00:31:56.280]Aaron Holz: As well as bigger works.
- [00:31:58.520]um.
- [00:32:01.000]brad kahlhamer: You know I don't know if I love pop culture, I have to say I got the sort of I saw how the sausage was made at tops chewing gum right which is you had these.
- [00:32:11.520]brad kahlhamer: At that time, that were these these Hollywood you know movies coming out like Batman or whatever and or was a professional sports thing and.
- [00:32:24.760]brad kahlhamer: I think I kind of resented that you know the power of pop cultural over all of us, but then as artists, you know you, you can you can dig down and go into that and find find why it is that people.
- [00:32:38.920]brad kahlhamer: You know, respond so positively to these things, and why this is such an and why America is like it is so you just start getting into it, but you know it's it's a.
- [00:32:52.120]brad kahlhamer: it's a kind of back and forth with pop culture, I think it allows you.
- [00:32:57.720]brad kahlhamer: You know, if you look at the painting American paintings from the 30s you know before you really had a Hollywood you know everything's very Gray scale big Gray tone it was you know the colors and then sort of around the 50 6070 really got.
- [00:33:11.000]brad kahlhamer: You know the advent of color you know just chemical and things like that things got much brighter and now we're on this, you know saccharin gravy train forever, this is, you know it's it's it's a constant our lives, so you have to deal with it.
- [00:33:26.960]brad kahlhamer: But I don't know, maybe, people are still paying horses, I guess right yeah.
- [00:33:32.040]Aaron Holz: I think.
- [00:33:32.880]brad kahlhamer: Big scottsdale they are.
- [00:33:35.800]brad kahlhamer: that'd be cool too yeah.
- [00:33:39.480]brad kahlhamer: yeah.
- [00:33:40.920]brad kahlhamer: Oh anything else.
- [00:33:44.360]yeah.
- [00:33:45.720]Aaron Holz: last question, you see here it is i'll give you the last one I know you're off to the to the armory tonight, and they have to get a cab so.
- [00:33:52.600]Aaron Holz: forever and everyone asks the fire and the passion it's there, but what were you what were your day jobs, other than tops and did they influence your work.
- [00:34:00.840]brad kahlhamer: yeah they influenced me to be an artist, I mean I used to work for my father was like okay that was fun I learned a lot from him, but just you know, keeping it in the family was.
- [00:34:10.440]brad kahlhamer: was like I started yearning for and I always had this super curious mind right and and a restlessness, so I think it was really just the nine to five got to me now you know i'm a product of Community college or you know that two years, so all.
- [00:34:32.320]brad kahlhamer: Grad school was not going to be an option for me, so it was it was more like I you know I knew I had to.
- [00:34:39.560]brad kahlhamer: I couldn't stay where I was if anything was going to happen, so I think it was just.
- [00:34:45.880]brad kahlhamer: Maybe it's a fear of failure.
- [00:34:48.280]brad kahlhamer: Try to strive, and I had a vision, you know vision for what I wanted to do, and once I got out in New York, I think it's like you have to develop, you know quick kind of quick trigger so you're able to analyze situations you walk into a room it's called reading the word I suppose.
- [00:35:07.840]brad kahlhamer: But, but you can learn this stuff it's just you know live fire you gotta get out there and do it so.
- [00:35:15.080]Aaron Holz: Well brad Thank you very much what a wonderful time, thank you for sharing with us the work and.
- [00:35:19.920]Aaron Holz: Okay it's into it we're excited to see what happens here in the spring and i'm sure at least a few of us will go see those shows live, so thank you.
- [00:35:28.080]brad kahlhamer: i'd love i'd love to see you there you know the openings are looking up you know if you get out to the city.
- [00:35:33.040]brad kahlhamer: And I really hope to you know visit Lincoln again, I know you gave me this wonderful to where we're inside the museum's really interesting so i'd love to get out there at some point and i'm sure that's gonna happen.
- [00:35:46.160]Aaron Holz: yeah, we will have you here again, it will happen and and for anyone who hasn't seen the ledger drawings at the joslin go see them, it was one of your Poles and we're just really thankful for this time, so thank you again brad and they're all saying big thank you's across.
- [00:36:01.120]brad kahlhamer: and well, thank you.
- [00:36:01.840]Aaron Holz: This was an audience, we had 90 people login and they were applauding and.
- [00:36:06.520]Aaron Holz: are happy, so you know I know you perform in front of live, so you could you can imagine it here's the virtual hellos all across the chat room.
- [00:36:18.080]Aaron Holz: It was really enjoyable.
- [00:36:19.440]brad kahlhamer: Well, thank you very much, and I appreciate it and tell the next time.
- [00:36:24.920]Aaron Holz: yeah for sure.
- [00:36:25.920]Aaron Holz: Thank you, everybody.
- [00:36:28.640]brad kahlhamer: bye.
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