Mark Bradford Microsite Launched to Enhance Exhibition

Columbus, OH—The Wexner Center for the Arts, in partnership with Resource Interactive, has just launched an educational multimedia microsite devoted to acclaimed Los Angeles– based artist Mark Bradford and the survey exhibition of his work that premieres at the Wexner Center this spring and summer before touring the country.

The microsite, pinocchioisonfire.org (taken from the title of one of the works in the show), provides a dynamic online experience allowing the public to learn more about Bradford’s process, background, and select works in the exhibition. The pioneering site includes a multitude of short video and audio excerpts of Bradford talking about his work, life, and process; images of selected artworks; descriptive and explanatory text; biographical information; music; information about the exhibition; and more.

Notes Wexner Center Director Sherri Geldin, “This site is a truly groundbreaking digital experience that provides a rich and multidimensional perspective on Mark Bradford’s practice. We are enormously grateful to our friends at Resource for the remarkable creative, intellectual, and financial investment they have made in this project.”

“We partnered with the Wexner Center to create a site devoted solely to one artist and one exhibition,” said Nancy Kramer, Resource Interactive founder and CEO, and a Wexner Center Foundation trustee. “We were thrilled to honor Mark Bradford’s work by pushing the boundaries of our own—resulting in a site that provides an interactive, in-depth look at both an intriguing artist and exhibition.”

The exhibition Mark Bradford—the first major museum survey of Bradford’s work, curated by the Wexner Center’s Christopher Bedford—premieres at the Wexner Center May 8– August 15. A 2009 MacArthur Foundation “genius” award recipient, Bradford is best-known for his large-scale abstract paintings made from a variety of collaged materials. These works, which form the backbone of the exhibition, not only extend the possibilities of contemporary painting but also offer an unusual and highly individual examination of the economies (often defined by race, gender, and class) that structure urban society in the United States, and specifically in Leimert Park in Los Angeles, where Bradford maintains his studio. The exhibition features more than 50 works spanning the last decade, and other highlights include video, sculpture, and several new works created under the auspices of a Wexner Center Residency Award in visual arts. Among the new projects is Pinocchio Is On Fire, a mixed-media installation with sound that lends the microsite its title and is one of works investigated most fully in the site.

Following its Wexner Center debut, the exhibition will tour to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (November 19, 2010–March 13, 2011), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (summer 2011), the Dallas Museum of Art (October 16, 2011–January 15, 2012), and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (February 18–May 20, 2012). The microsite will “follow” the museums on the tour.

About the Wexner Center for the Arts

The Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University's multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. Through exhibitions, screenings, performances, artist residencies, and educational programs, the Wexner Center acts as a forum where established and emerging artists can test ideas and where diverse audiences can participate in cultural experiences that enhance understanding of the art of our time. In its programs, the Wexner Center balances a commitment to experimentation with a commitment to traditions of innovation and affirms the university's mission of education, research, and community service. For more information, visit wexarts.org

About Resource Interactive

Resource Interactive is one of the nation’s top-rated independent agencies with offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Palo Alto, leading Fortune 500 companies through the real-time web while creating bold opportunities for consumer engagement and competitive advantage. Now in its 29th year, Resource is the largest independent women-owned agency in the nation. Clients include Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, The Coca-Cola Company, Victoria’s Secret, Sherwin-Williams and Nestlé, among others. For more information, visit resource.com