Meet Brad Bernhardt

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Bernhardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Happiness is a hard thing to put into words. A lot of it comes from pretty everyday stuff like my relationship. friends, family, basketball, and my dog. A big chunk of it comes through painting, it’s my favorite thing to do. I really love wrestling with an idea in the studio, figuring out the best way to convey that idea, and then executing it in my voice where it hits. It’s kinda what gets me up in the morning, and I know I’m extremely blessed to have it as a creative outlet. It’s not always easy to find what makes you happy day to day, but just being in the art community here in Los Angeles brings me a massive amount of joy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a painter, and mainly operate in nostalgia. I really love the idea of something we all saw as younger people, and how that thing can mean something different to us all now. I don’t really think of what sets my art apart, but I rather think of my art as being part of a conversation we’re all having. I think that is the most important thing any artist can do, is use their unique voice to contribute to that conversation.

The journey for me was definitely not easy. I started after college in Las Vegas, which is a very difficult place to get people into art. I did my best, but its just not that kind of town. Then luckily I was able to do an artist in residence program in San Francisco at a facility named cell space. It was wild, the opportunity to live in a burgeoning art area in SF with studio and board for a cheap price was unreal. It was a dream. There was an art gallery downstairs, performance space, and also a metal shop attached. I learned so much in my time there, and also met so many people. It was amazing, but as all spaces like this (especially in SF at the time) were on a ticking time clock. The building got sold to a developer, so with everything going on in Sf at the time it seemed to me a good time to move south. So I made my way to Los Angeles in 2015, which was one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made. It was an adjustment for sure, but the amount of art opportunities in this town is amazing.

If I learned any lessons along the way it’s to just to keep following the fun, even if it doesn’t feel that way. It’s very easy to get disillusioned with the industry, but that’s bullshit. It’s an amazing thing to chase your dream, whatever it is. Just do you, it took me a long time to figure that out. When you dedicate your life to your passion, just be sure you’re doing something that is authentically yourself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so many spots in this town, it’s hard to choose. If I was talking art galleries I would suggest GGLA, David Kordansky Gallery, De Boer, Francois Ghebaly, and Nicodim. When it comes to a great dinner spot I suggest Mignon, Taix, The Girl and the Goat, Amante, Bacetti, but my favorite spot by far is Sonaratown. If you’re looking for a cool bar I suggest Cranes, Walts, and Boardner’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have helped me along the way, but definitely wanna give a shout out to Andrew Schoultz and Andres Gurerro for years of mentorship.

Website: www.bradbernhardt.com

Instagram: @bernhardtstudio

Image Credits
All images credits come from myself, Brad Bernhardt