The primary thought I had once I learn that the identify of this present was Sidewalk Chalk was simply the concept of a summer season and childhood. Chalk is innocent however formative. It is a device of creativeness and expression, remodeling abnormal concrete into momentary canvases for vibrant drawings, video games, and messages. To me, sidewalk chalk represents spontaneity and communal artwork, the place youngsters and adults can collaborate in crafting fleeting masterpieces which can be washed away however by no means forgotten. It is concerning the pleasure of creation with out the strain of permanence, celebrating the liberty to experiment, play, and join with others in shared public areas.
And that brings me to Katherine Bernhardt, who opened the brand new solo present at David Zwirner in LA along with her uncooked mash-ups of pop cultural iconography. She paints Garfield, ET, Cookie Monster with a childhood marvel, enlarging their personas to double human dimension, like doubling down the imprint these cartoon characters have had on our lives. Marshmallows and sticks of butter are right here, too. There’s a sense of pleasure and in addition an virtually insanity of tradition, an depth of cartoon imagery that’s surreal and virtually twistingly weird. After college cartoons had been an acceleration of adrenaline that wasn’t discovered within the classroom, a sugar-fueled escape that actually offered you sugar. Bernhardt paints butter like it’s as important to our reminiscences as Sesame Road. It is irreverent and it is pop. —Evan Pricco
