Art as a Vehicle for Cultural Transformation in the 21st Century —with Brad Burkhart
The clay-relief sculptures I create begin with intuitive
sketching. At first, this process and the ensuing sculptures felt
solely personal. However, as I exhibited and viewers reacted,
my objective understanding of this subjective process and the
wider meaning perceived by a community of viewers grew.
Viewers knew things about these pieces that I did not. From my
process and through their understanding, the potential for a
much wider social impact emerged. In addition, my initial
understanding of the archetypes as discussed by Jung has
evolved into an understanding of how contemporary archetypal
images might be generated and what their role might be in
leading scientific discovery and cultural evolution.
Brad Burkhart is a sculptor who is also trained in native habitat
restoration horticulture. He has maintained dual careers in
these areas for much of his working life. Since 1994 he has
presented his sculpture and his ideas about the manifestation
and identification of archetypes in his work in various
community and international venues, including the Florence
Biennale in 2003. He has shown his work in Los Angeles, San
Diego, Santa Cruz, Tucson, Ann Arbor, and Santa Barbara. From
1975 to 2014 he also mounted numerous shows in the small
gallery associated with his habitat restoration business in San
Diego. Since moving to Santa Cruz in 2014, he has shown his
work at several local galleries and has participated in the Santa
Cruz Open Studios program for the past three years.