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.