A Conversation with Mark Bradford and Michael Govan

Artistic Evolution and Origins:

• Bradford grew up in Leimert Park, South Los Angeles, as the son of a hairdresser, initially lacking access to formal art institutions until visiting LACMA.
• He rejected early academic attempts to categorize his identity (race, sexuality) by "escaping into abstraction," which he utilized as a space to explore these themes without being confined by stereotypes.
• His work deliberately disrupts the "hegemonic, old, white, New York school" of abstraction, repurposing materials like community signs and newspaper clippings to reclaim the medium.
• Early works incorporated local neighborhood materials, while later pieces abstractly embed maps of Los Angeles, including post-Watts Rebellion destruction and freeway grid systems.

Personal Identity and Stereotypes:

• Bradford, who is 6'8", intentionally plays with heterosexual men's projections onto his body, using his height and basketball references to subvert expectations of "black masculinity."
• He cites a "healthy dose of low self-esteem" and having "no plan B" as critical drivers for his work ethic, given the barriers faced by Black artists in the 1980s.
• His creative process is driven by personal interest and a desire to follow his own curiosity rather than external mandates or market trends.

Political and Social Engagement:

• Bradford recently produced a 20-foot by 24-foot installation featuring text from Diamond Reynolds's live stream of her boyfriend's police shooting, moving toward direct political commentary he deems necessary in the current cultural climate.
• He declined a U.S. Embassy commission to display the Constitution, opting instead to create this new, more urgent work at LACMA.
• Bradford views the current era of artistic diversity as "exciting" rather than confusing, arguing that the influx of new voices challenges the previously "boring" status quo.

Institutional Innovation: Art + Practice:

• In 2019, Bradford co-founded Art + Practice in Leimert Park, converting a former beauty parlor into a non-profit (501(c)(3)) that houses a contemporary gallery and a foster youth support center under one roof.
• The organization was established to address the "epidemic of foster youth" in the neighborhood, providing a safe, creative space for young people transitioning out of the system.
• Bradford invested more capital into beautifying the foster youth facility than the gallery to signal value to a demographic often marginalized by government institutions.
• The project rejects the "colonizing model" of museums, focusing instead on listening to community needs and establishing a dialogue rather than imposing external solutions.

Strategic Philanthropy and Museum Partnerships:

• Bradford and LACMA CEO Michael Govan collaborated to transform a nearby elementary school in MacArthur Park into an arts magnet school featuring a professional art gallery, which subsequently improved local reading scores.
• Both advocates for decentralizing art, planning LACMA partnerships with institutions like East Los Angeles College to place artworks in underserved communities.
• Bradford emphasizes that "equity" is the prerequisite for inclusion, noting that conversations about diversity often stall when they fail to address power dynamics and resource allocation.
• He argues that artists must be viewed as problem-solvers and strategic thinkers, citing his own assistance to LACMA in redesigning its logo as a prime example of practical artistic application.

Philosophy on Art and Community:

• Bradford refuses to separate his identity as an artist from his work as a philanthropist, viewing all actions as part of a singular, integrated creative practice.
• He contends that 21st-century art must prioritize "the could" over "the should," allowing for fluidity and experimentation in how art engages with history and social unrest.
• Both speakers agree that the current moment offers unprecedented possibilities for building shared prosperity through diverse community partnerships, provided stakeholders remain open to the "messiness" of the process.