A Gilded Painter

Brad Kunkle, is an American born painter who grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and now resides in New York. He has recently been dubbed as one of the greatest American artist of all time by American Artist magazine this year. The media that he works in is oil on panel or canvas and he also incorporates gold and silver leaf into his works. The use of gold and other precious metals in in painting or as a paint like media is called grisaille. The artist learn of this technique while in school working on his degree. He also uses a limited colour palette which he learned from his professor George Sorrels. This limited palette is similar to how great artist in the past worked like Jan van Eyck and Robert Campin.

The Gilded Wilderness Oil, gold, and silver leaf on linen. 42 x 80 inches

His worlds like one above are mostly focused on figures but he incorporates nature into just about everything. Majority of the figures tend to be female and he does this on purpose because he wants to explore the strong "Feminine energy" that all women possess. In his work he tries to show the mystique of both women and nature. In "The Gilded Wilderness" above he mixes the urban industrialized world in with the peaceful natural world. This is done by the use of the gears in the back ground and the men in suits signing papers next to them. That is in great contrast to the youthful men and women who are bathing in the golden leaves on the floor beneath the suited men. Also he paints himself into this work, he is the figure looking up at the suited men form the upper right hand corner.

Kunkle like the use of the precious metals because it add to the atmosphere of the work and helps make the audience feel like they are part of it. This happens because the viewer sees the work that the artist wants them to to see and then the Gold or silver leafing create another layer of detail that changes as the viewer moves around the work. Kunkle calls this a dance between the two that is choreographed by the viewer. He also states that the metals help reflect his relation to the cities. By having them as large swathes in the background it is reminiscent of the glass covered building.

Bird of Paradise Oil and silver leaf on wood. 30 x 40 inches

In these two works it illustrates the use of the large metallic backgrounds but gives two different feels. In the painting above titled "Bird of Paradise" the silver background is more like a wall in a room, which would more likely be found in a city. While the second work titled " The Bee Healer" the silver background is more like a dreary autumnal day, emphasizing the country.


 

 The Bee Healer Oil, gold and silver leaf on wood. 25 x 44 inches

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