BRAD REUBEN KUNKLEIt was during Arcadia Gallery's lnternational

Introductions exhibition this past |une that viewingBrad Reuben Kunkle's paintings became an "interac-tive experience" and quickly became a crowd pleaser.Influenced by the works of master Art Nouveau paint-er, Gustav Klimt, the young painter incorporates goldand silver leaf into his oil paintings. His use of dra-matic and romantic imagery combined with the lealcreates ominous and elegant mood shifts in the paint-ings that, with the simple flick of a light switch, cancompletely change the work's intensity and dimension.

Born in rural Pennsylvania, Brad Reuben Kunklespent his younger years exploring and romanticizingthe beauty of the sparse countryside and the deep for-ests around him. From an early age he was drawn tothe worlds of Maxfield Parrish and the Pre-Raphaelites

- worlds, he says, "where a subtle, supernatural beautyseems to be hiding under the breath of women -worlds where something beyond our natural percep-tion is waiting to be found."

He studied painting at Kutztown University mostlyunder George Sorrels, who was taught by a pupil ofthe 19th centuryAcademic painter, William AdolpheBouguereau. Filled with academic principles, Brad feltconfident in his ability, but stifled by the structure of

schools anddissatisfiedwith theboundariesof tradition-al imagery.In an effortto discoverhis ownartistic sen-

sibilities, heworked as a

commission-based portraitist, and began an almost decade-longjourney of continued self-instruction and independentstudy.

Brad was searching for an unnatural quality in hispaintings, and it was ironically discovered by reducinghis processes to the elements of painting he felt camemost natural to him. His minimal palette is inspiredby the grisailles of early European masters and thehaunting quality of antique photographs and daguerre-otypes. "Grisaille has a mysterious quality to it, andthat mysterious quality is also at times carried into the

Brad Kunkle's naturalistic painting "Eidlon"measures 64 x i6 inches aiil is achieyed througha unique combination of oil paints and theapplication of 24K gold and silver leaf.

way I will treat an object or a dress. Sometimes I liketo give just enough information for the viewer tofinish the details of what they are seeing."

As a decorative painter in his mid twenties, he leafedentire wallsin copper. Hewas beguiledby the shifting,life-like natureofthe surfaces,and began toincorporategilding inhis work. Thisproved to ful-fill the unrealquality he hadbeen lookingfor to conveyhis moody,

"The Cage" by Brad l(unkle measures 30 x 32inches and the entire painting, as with all ofKunkle's works, "transforms" as the light hitsthe work during yarious times of the day.

romantic ideas of human nature and ritual."The use of gold and silver in my paintings serve two

main functions - the first being symbolic. Gold andsilver serve as symbols in many ways but to begin with,they are'material'symbols in harsh contrast to thespiritual or intangible aspects of life. The shifting ofthe leafed skies and wallpapers are also symbolicof the ever-changing world we live in. Furthermore,gold is the single most controversial element in thehistory of mankind. It causes wars, brings death,happiness and beauty - symbolizes love, power,greed, and religion... it's symbolic properties arejust as malleable as it's physical properties.

The second function of the leaf is to react directlywith the viewer. As one walks across a room or dimsthe lights, they are affecting the painting and thepainting is affecting them. The paintings become aliving, breathing thing to me when the leaf is shiftingand the oil is quiet. The art literally becomes interac-tive and can give the work a supernatural quality. Theuse of grisaille, or an adaptation of grisaille, againstthe leaf can give the sense of a very surreal space andunnatural depth within the paintings."

Brad says, "I paint to connect with the part of beinghuman that is beautiful and slightly dark, strippedto it's truth and always changing - The part of beinghuman that appears to be romantic, but feels very real."

Brad Reuben Kunkle is currently working on newpaintings for his very first, one-man exhibition ofworks in April of 2010 at Arcadia Gallery.

et to run Nor,ember 13-15, the l3th annuai Boston IntenmtiortrilFine Art Show (BIi.AS) brings together 40 exhibitors from across

the U.S. and Europe presenting an array of contemporary and traditionalpaintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photography. Produced bi,Tonl'Fusco and Robert Four, this is theleading shorv of its kind in Ner.v Eng-1and, and this year's exhibitor list isthe strongest ever.

I'he fair kicks off with a bene-fit prer.ieiv on Thursday, Noven.rber12. The next evening's programrrringfocuses on new collectors and ir-r-

cludes an illustrated ralk by Fine ArtConnoisseur editor Peter Trippi at7.30 p.r.r.r. On Sunday, November 15,

at 2 p.m., Roy Dar,ves of BrandeisUniversity's Rose Art Museum(\Valtham, Massachusetts) rvill dis-cuss his institution's collection ofmodern and contemporary art. (Ap-parently this in.rportant group ofu,orks will remair.r intact, despite thecontroversy about its possible dis-persal that has raged during the past

1.ear.) On sale after Darves's talk rvillbe the impressive 288-page bookabout the Rose N,Iuseum, its hold-ings, and its history that hns just beer.r

published by Abrams.Fr-rsco and Four are offerir.rg

$5 off admission to r.isitors pre-ser.rting the BIFAS ad that appearedin the October 2009 issue of r*ineArt Connoisseur. They har.e alsoarranged for all BIFAS tickethold-ers to get $5 off admission to theconcurrent B o stort Inter nationalAttti r1u ar i an B o ok F ai r. Presenteclat the Hynes Conr,ention Center nearb1., this fair r,r.ill offer an ampleselection of ar.rtique maps, a subject explored in the October 2009 issueof Fine Art Connoisseur.

I'IAI"l'HIAS ANDL,RSON is o contributirtg wrlrer ro Fine Art (lonnoisseur

Information: Boston Internatiorral Finc Art Shorv, 'l'he Cycloranta, Boston Center.forthe Arts, 539'l)'emont Street, Boston, L'tA 02116,617.363.0105, fineartboston.corn.

30 FINE ART CONNoTSSEUR.COM ] November/December 2oo9

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