| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | In printmaking and in painting, Bradley Harms is primarily an abstract artist who, since the late 1990s, challenged traditional methods and notions in both media. Although stylistically Harms is very different from John Will of Calgary, the veteran artist’s use of irony and reaction against artistic conventions influenced Harms. A 2000 exhibition at Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts (Calgary, AB) identified the young graduate as part of a new wave in Alberta printmaking. Harms’ silkscreens were unique because they were not numbered, printed in multiples or printed on paper. Plexiglas was employed as the print surface. Since then Harms has concentrated on painting, addressing how this medium is perceived, and manipulating ideas about surface, form and what he calls our notions of perfection. This includes abstracts that mimic the look of digital art but are actually hand-painted; playing with the viewer’s expectations.
Bradley Harms majored in printing under the tutelage of painter and printmaker William Laing, graduating with a BFA with Distinction in 1996 from the University of Calgary. In 2004, he earned an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has maintained an active exhibition record with exhibitions throughout Canada and elsewhere including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Munich, Sydney, Barcelona, Singapore and Tokyo. |