VIRGINIA BRADLEY

"My research into natural phenomena, geological and oceanographic formation serves as a starting point for my abstract works.

 Like an alchemist, I transform the work through the use of diverse materials and physical acts.

I add and subtract into the painting surface by pouring paint, sanding, drawing and printing while simultaneously experimenting with chemical reactions to the surface. Thus, my studio becomes a laboratory for experimentation and an athanor for the interaction of diverse materials. I repeat these processes until the piece evolves into a finished state of multiple luminous layers, referring to water, the richness of the air and the unknown and attaining a higher level of physicality and contemplation."

-  Virginia Bradley

Corallium Series

Virginia Bradley’s Corallium series was motivated by the tragic decimation of the coral reef at Playa Santa Bay, in southwest Puerto Rico. In 2023, the Caribbean Sea reached temperatures of 104°F, triggering a bleaching process that led to the collapse of the reef’s ecosystem. Today, the site remains as a ghostly coral graveyard.

The installation presents several large-scale Corallium works in a naturally lit room, where lightboxes act like windows into the corals, drawing viewers in and evoking the sensation of observing them through an aquarium. One of the goals of the project is to raise awareness about the devastating impact of climate change on coral reefs.

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and essential ecosystems on Earth. They support more species per unit area than any other marine habitat, and they act as natural barriers that protect coastal regions and communities.

ES

Virginia Bradley es una pintora abstracta contemporánea radicada en Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Fue profesora de arte en la Universidad de Delaware.

Su práctica se enfoca en la transformación de los materiales a través de procesos físicos y químicos, vinculados a un enfoque experimental que remite a la alquimia. Su trabajo parte de investigaciones sobre fenómenos naturales, formaciones geológicas y oceanográficas. Interviene la superficie mediante acciones como verter pintura, lijar, dibujar o imprimir, generando capas que evolucionan a lo largo del proceso. Su estudio funciona como un espacio de experimentación en el que los materiales interactúan y se transforman.

Ha recibido la Beca Finalista del Massachusetts Cultural Council (2020), una Beca de la Fundación McKnight y una Beca de Arts Midwest/NEA. Ha participado en residencias artísticas y ha realizado varias comisiones Percent for Art para el Minnesota State Arts Board. Su obra ha sido presentada en exposiciones individuales y colectivas en Estados Unidos y Europa.

EN

Virginia Bradley is a contemporary abstract painter based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She was a Professor of Art at the University of Delaware.

Her practice revolves around the transformation of materials through physical and chemical processes, rooted in an experimental approach that aligns with the concept of alchemy. Her work is informed by research into natural phenomena, as well as geological and oceanographic formations. She intervenes in the surface through actions such as pouring paint, sanding, drawing, and printing, building layers that evolve over time. Her studio serves as a laboratory where materials interact and undergo continuous transformation.

Bradley has received the Massachusetts Cultural Council Finalist Fellowship (2020), a McKnight Foundation Fellowship, and an Arts Midwest/NEA Fellowship. She has participated in artist residencies and completed several Percent for Art commissions for the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across the United States and Europe.