Draft:Brad R. Kunkle

Brad R. Kunkle (b. March 26, 1978) is an American artist known for his use of gold and silver leaf in figurative oil paintings. His themes explore intuition, the shedding of inherited dogmas, and the power of feminine energies as guides for seeking enlightenment with the natural world.

Early life and education

Kunkle was born in northeastern Pennsylvania in an old railroad town along the Lehigh River called Lehighton. His earliest published drawings were for a nature conservancy newsletter. One of his first art teachers, Marjorie Reppert, instilled in him the possibility of a life focused on artistic pursuits through stories of Franz Kline, the abstract-expressionist painter who attended Lehighton High School in the 1920s and '30s.

In an interview with Hi Fructose, Kunkle described his childhood: "I grew up in the woods, hiking, counting and identifying raptors at a local migration point along the Appalachian Trail. Every summer my family would go camping. I've just always had a natural affinity towards the wilderness. I feel like I belong to it. Like I'm a part of it. When I spend time within the wilderness, even on a level of just living in the countryside compared to the city, I feel that I can 'listen' to myself easier and 'listen' to where the universe is guiding me. It's easier for me to identify the doors that I should be stepping through."

Kunkle earned his degree in Fine Arts from Kutztown University, studying mostly under George Sorrels. [Source: Samantha Levin, "Interview with Brad Kunkle," Beinart Gallery, January 2015.] In an interview in The Gilder's Tip, Kunkle said, "I went to college to become an art teacher with dreams of being a fantasy book-cover artist during the summers. A very famous illustrator named Dan Giancola came to my school and inspired me to switch to Fine Arts."

During this time, Kunkle's passion for pre-Raphaelite paintings led to the development of his own style of grisaille. His professor's personal choice of occasionally painting in grisaille, or "the use of a limited color palette that was also used by Flemish masters Jan van Eyck and Robert Carmen," left a lasting impression on Kunkle whose own works "utilize this technique in tandem with the use of precious metal gilding" in a way in which "the surfaces of the paintings exist in two realms of viewing."

Following his formal education, Kunkle honed his craft and experimented with various mediums and styles. During this period of experimentation, he made a discovery that would come to define his artistic identity––the ancient medium of gold leaf.

During a trip to the Louvre (Paris) in 2007, he noticed that the gilded ceilings, set as backdrops to the figurative bas-relief moldings of the massive rooms, were more inspiring to him than the Mona Lisa. Entranced by its luminous and ethereal qualities, Kunkle began incorporating gold and silver into his paintings.

Inspired by the timeless masterpieces of luminaries such as Rembrandt, Klimt, and Caravaggio, a reverence for the Old Masters became a cornerstone of Kunkle's style, evident in his meticulous attention to detail and the nuanced interplay of light and shadow.

Career

Upon moving to New York, Kunkle sought gallery representation and was offered a place in a group show at Arcadia Contemporary in 2009 called International Introductions, in which he sold all of his works on display. This success led to his first solo show at Arcadia, Against Nature, which also sold out (on opening night) in 2010. Since then, he has had five additional shows at Arcadia Contemporary, in New York and Los Angeles.

Themes

Kunkle's paintings often feature female figures adorned with gold leaf, set against dreamlike landscapes with silver leafed skies or backdrops, "often in a state of transcendence or as if they are on some spiritual quest."

His compositions exude a sense of mystery and spirituality, inviting viewers into a realm where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur. Through his meticulous craftsmanship and rich symbolism, Kunkle weaves narratives that resonate on a deeply personal and universal level, exploring themes of femininity, nature, and the passage of time.

"When I gild a sky in a painting, the reflected light on the leaf is a direct connection to the passing of time of light in the viewer's reality . . . not the light that is defined by brush on the figure. This is best seen when natural light is coming through windows in a space where the painting may be hanging."

Over the course of his career, Kunkle has garnered international acclaim for his distinctive style and evocative imagery. He has a widespread social media following and his works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. His paintings and processes are featured in the film A BEHOLDEN PURPOSE from Brennan Stasiewicz. Kunkle's art was used in the title sequence of Netflix's Anne With an E. It has appeared in Lapham's Quarterly, Huffington Post, and the Lunar Codex, currently anchored to the moon.

Kunkle's vision transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, speaking to the universal human experience, inviting viewers to contemplate deeper truths that unite us all. In an interview for American Art Collector, Kunkle said, "Whether someone is a practicing witch or a catholic priest, or even just someone who believes in serendipity, the commonality is that they all believe that there is an invisible world that can affect their lives. Magical thinking is a strong force that has been a part of the human story since the dawn of time, and it's an endless source of inspiration for me."

Kunkle's ideas are strongly influenced by the writings of Joseph Campbell. The two men also share the same date of birth (March 26).

In a world inundated with fleeting distractions and superficiality, Brad Kunkle's art serves as a beacon of authenticity and transcendence, reminding us of the enduring power of human expression and the profound beauty of the natural world. Through his timeless paintings, he invites us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper dimensions of existence, inspiring a renewed sense of wonder and reverence for the mysteries that surround us.

"I love the fact that the precious metals create a reflective surface that actually brings the environment of the viewer into the painting," Kunkle said, adding, 'So you have a painted surface . . . the one that I have determined for the viewer, then you have this reflective surface that changes depending on the viewer's movements. The paintings become interactive and the viewer becomes part of creating what they are seeing. For me, it's like the world I've created and the world the viewer stands in, are having this dance, choreographed by the viewer."

Exhibitions

Museum - Institution

2020 The New Salem Museum. Permanent Collection

2016 Et in Arcadia Ego, group exhibition. New Museum Los Gatos

2015 Transmissions, group exhibition. William Roland Gallery of Fine Art. California Lutheran University.

2015 Kwan Fong Gallery of Art & Culture. Artist in Residence. California Lutheran University.

2013 MESA Contemporary Arts Museum.

Solo

2024 Palisades. Arcadia Contemporary, New York City.

2020 alkәmē. Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles.

2016 In/visible. Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles.

2014 The Belonging. Arcadia Contemporary, New York City.

2012 Gilded Wilderness. Arcadia Contemporary, New York City.

2010 Against Nature. Arcadia Contemporary, New York City.

Group

2017 Context Art Miami. Arcadia Contemporary

2017 The New Baroque. Booth Gallery, NYC

2015 Context Art Miami. Jonathan Levine Gallery

2015 Paintguide Exhibition. The Unit London

2013 Small Works. Arcadia Contemporary, New York NY

2013 Singlefare 3. RH Gallery, New York NY

2012 Resolve. Joushua Liner Gallery, New York NY

2011 Dark Water. Group Exhibition, Copro Gallery, Los Angeles.

2011 Singlefare. Sloan Fine Art, New York NY

2010 To Sleep Like Ghosts. Strychnin Gallery, Berlin.

2010 Small Works. Arcadia Gallery, New York NY

2009 Small Works. Arcadia Gallery, New York NY

2009 International Introductions. Arcadia Gallery, New York NY