How Does Abstract Art Reanimate Society's Social Fabric?
In short: Mark Bradford, an American abstract painter, views the social fabric of society as a raw material for abstraction. He suggests that by using this entire social texture as a starting point, the resulting art can be given new life, almost as if dusting off something forgotten.
Mark Bradford, who was born in 1961, approaches the concept of abstraction through the lens of societal remnants. In his participation in The Artist Project, an online series, he reflects on the work of Clyfford Still. His methodology involves treating the 'whole social fabric of our society' not merely as a subject, but as the very point of departure for his abstract compositions. This process, he suggests, achieves a kind of reanimation, a process akin to cleaning dust from an old object.
The core idea underpinning Bradford's practice is the transformation of the mundane or the overlooked aspects of daily life—the social residue—into something monumental and abstract. By doing this, he forces a reconsideration of what constitutes 'art' and what constitutes 'society.' The act of abstraction, in this context, becomes a form of cultural archaeology, excavating patterns and textures embedded within the collective experience.
His engagement with the Met's collection, specifically in relation to Clyfford Still, frames his work within a lineage of modern abstraction. While the passages do not detail the specific mechanisms of his painting process, the conceptual weight suggests a deep engagement with materiality and history. The goal appears to be moving beyond mere representation to evoke a sense of revitalized recognition regarding the structures that bind a community together.
The implication of this approach is that the social environment itself possesses an inherent, untapped aesthetic value. Bradford’s work thus functions as a critical mirror, using the language of abstraction to point attention back toward the complex, often invisible, threads that constitute modern social existence.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Artist Project: Mark Bradford
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