A famous art professor once opined: A painting should either be edifying or entertaining. Bradford Overton defies that dichotomy by shooting for both. “I want my work to be funny but I also want them to feel as though you are looking at a haiku—a humorous haiku,” he says. “I want to find balance, minimalism and grace in the piece, but the gestalt needs to be edifying. I want the work to achieve aesthetic harmony, but also contain something charming. It’s akin to the kind of person you want to be or meet. Someone can be put together but have no sense of humor. My favorite kind of art and people are both.”
This melding of personality and practice has been a through line in Overton’s oeuvre: his trickster vibe mirrors his playful approach in the studio. “My paintings crack me up,” he says. “They make me happy. I amuse myself in the studio, and then I technically execute the playfulness I see in front of me.”
