Chris Bradley

• • • Garage Door • 2010 • Garage door and opener, steel and hardware • • • #tbt #chrisbradley

I’m honored to be participating in the fifth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, aptly titled This is a Rehearsal, curated by the wonderful @thefloatingmuseum . Special thanks to the Floating Museum, the CAB team, Ackerman Clarke, and the many minds and bodies that helped see this project through. xoxo • Mnemonic (Optimism stretches and yawns, looks east, with one hand it shields its eyes from the early morning sun, and silently greets its neighbor by raising the other) • 2023 • Cast bronze, paint, epoxy putty, hardware • 85 x 60 x 54 inches • Statement by John Schmid @ackerman.clarke : Sculptor Chris Bradley continues to explore the suspension of disbelief in his handmade closely-rendered objects and unexpected tableaus.  This latest work, made on the occasion of the 2023 Chicago Architectural Biennial and the largest version in a decade-long series, connects hundreds of store bought pretzel rods with wads of chewed gum.  Painted cast bronze stands in for the salty snack, welded together and masked by epoxy that articulates each sticky joint.  Aspects of the everyday and reflections of the commonplace fuel an output that tests conventional understandings of building.  The careful lattice celebrates the nature of impulse:  an animal need for impromptu architecture for immediate purpose, or put another way, a scaffolding for an imaginary home.  Representations of readily available materials combine in a monument to curiosity and play, a constellation of impossibility fully transformed.  • 📸 @passrby • #roldgold #fritolay #sculpture #castbronze #architecture #chrisbradley

• • Cinnamon Scent Machine II • 2023 • Basketball, orbital sander, cinnamon sticks, stainless steel, aluminum, electronics and hardware. • Currently on display this weekend with @ackerman.clarke as part of NADAxForeland in Catskill NY 🦭 • • • #nadaforeland #newartdealers #ackermanclarke #kineticsculpture #smellsgood #chrisbradley

• • 1991 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat in Midnight Regatta Blue (MG/M5979) • (5.0L V8 (302ci) engine, 185 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 in 9.5 seconds, 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive, towing capacity of 7,500 lbs, twin traction beam suspension, 4x4, curb weight of 3874lbs, payload of 4252lbs, “Bricknose” front end, chromed bumpers and grille, brushed stainless steel tailgate insert, 15-inch aluminum “bullet hole” wheels, cloth bench seat with a fold-down center armrest, manual roll up windows with wind-wings, push locks, brushed woodgrain accents, sliding rear window, AM/FM/cassette stereo, short range CB radio, police radar scanner, ashtray with cigarette lighter) • 2026 • Glass reinforced polymer infused gypsum, polyurethane foam, stainless steel, aluminum, and wood 21.5 x 26 x 18 inches • 📸 Mica Barrett @secristbeach • • #f150 #newcar #sculpture #chrisbradley

• • Always Night • 2015 • Steel, stainless steel, cast bronze, wood, polystyrene, 3D printed PLA, acrylic paint, magnets, and adhesive 8.5 x 27.5 x 1.25 inches • Currently on view in UNREAL at Secrist Beach in Chicago • 📸 Mica Barrett @secristbeach

Next week, join us for the final Spring 2026 Visiting Artist Colloquium public lecture on Wednesday, April 29th at 5pm with @mango_chunks_ , hosted by the @chazenartuw at the Chazen Auditorium! Get details and reserve your seat at: art.wisc.edu/public-programs/ An artist based in Chicago, Illinois, over the past two decades, Chris Bradley has developed a sculptural language around representation, poetics of ordinary subjects, trompe l’oeil techniques, and exhibition as a site for the imagination. He uses this creative language to encourage his audience to practice the suspension of disbelief as a method for reconsidering and understanding this shared common world. Bradley has presented his work in solo exhibitions at @ackerman.clarke , @mcachicago , @shanecampbellgallery , @roberto.paradise , and @cam_raleigh , and has been included in group shows at the @chicagoarchitecturebiennial 2023, the @rensoc , @atlantacontemporary , @mcasantabarbara , @mocadetroit , and the @nrwforum . He received his MFA degree from @saicpics . In 2017, he was the recipient of the Meier Achievement Award. In addition to his studio practice, he is an instructor of sculpture at the @uchicago . Each Wednesday from 5 to 6:15pm this Spring, attend weekly lectures in person in the @chazenartuw Auditorium by some of the nation’s most prominent visiting artists, critics, and gallery and museum directors at @UWMadison at the Visiting Artist Colloquium! Discover the latest developments in Fine Art, Craft, and Design at our free public talks, reserve your spot at art.wisc.edu/public-programs/ #UWMadison #artsatuw #artschool #artisttalk #madisonwi

• • 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle (VW 1302) in Lemon Yellow (L11E) • (1.6L (1584cc) air-cooled, rear-mounted, horizontally opposed “boxer” flat-four engine, 60 hp at 4,400 rpm, 82 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm, standard 4-speed manual transaxle, 0 to 60 mph in approximately 16 seconds, top speed of 87 mph, curb weight of 1,984 lbs, “bulbulous” front end with slotted grill, flat windshield, “tombstone” taillights, traditional flat dashboard with a single circular instrument pod, leatherette bucket seats with built-in headrests and “bouncy” cushioning, door-to-door carpeting, and a “big” trunk) • 2026 • Glass reinforced polymer infused gypsum, stainless steel, and wood 20 x 16 x 13 inches • Currently part of the exhibition titled Unreal at Secrist Beach in Chicago • 📸 Mica Barrett @secristbeach • • #chrisbradley #vwbeetle #vw #vwbug #carriage

• • Ceiling Fan (Superior Absorbing and Deodorizing) • 2026 • Steel, stainless steel, wood, 3D printed PLA, paint, and hardware 10 x 8 x 8 inches • Currently suspended in Unreal at Secrist Beach in Chicago • 📸 Mica Barrett @secristbeach • • #celingfan #daydream #oasis #chrisbradley #sculpture

• • 1999 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 in Glacial White Pearl (W75) • (3.0L DOHC 24-valve V6 engine with Twin Turbochargers and Dual Intercoolers, 320 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 315 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm, 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, top speed of 159mph, Getrag 6-speed manual transmission, 3737 lb curb weight, Full-time All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with a viscous coupling center differential and a limited-slip rear differential, Four-Wheel Steering (4WS) system that turns rear wheels in phase with front wheels at high speeds. Fixed high-profile “Combat Wing” spoiler, 18-inch chrome-finished five-spoke alloy wheels, driver-centric cockpit with tan leathering seating, 210-watt Infinity sound system with an AM/FM/Cassette head unit and a trunk-mounted CD changer, full automatic digital climate control system, and dual front SRS airbags) • 2026 Glass reinforced polymer infused gypsum and stainless steel 22 x 15 x 10.5 • Currently parked in the exhibition titled Unreal at Secrist Beach in Chicago • • 📸2-3 Mica Barrett @secristbeach • • #chrisbradley #classiccars #1999 #import #sculpture

• • Fireplace (The Great Northern) • 2026 • Wood, steel, 3D printed PLA, epoxy putty, rope, paint and hardware 12.5 x 12.5 x 5 inches • Currently included in the group exhibition titled Unreal at Secrist Beach in Chicago, opening tonight from 5-8pm • 📸 1-3 Mica Barrett @secristbeach • • • #chrisbradley #fireplace #thegreatnorthern

• • 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 MK III BJ8 Phase II in British Racing Green (GN-25) • (2.9-liter (2,912cc) BMC C-Series inline-six engine, 150 bhp at 5,250 rpm, Twin SU HD8 2-inch carburetors, 4-speed manual transmission with a synchronized top three, top speed over 120 mph with a 0-60 mph time of approximately 9.8 seconds, Semi-monocoque steel body with an aluminum hood and rear deck panels, 72-spoke chrome wire wheels with “knock-off” spinners, walnut veneer dashboard housing Smiths gauges, Ambla vinyl seating, roll-up side windows, a center console with a padded armrest and radio, and a fold-down rear luggage platform) • 2026 • Glass reinforced polymer infused gypsum, polyurethane foam, stainless steel, brass, and wood 22 x 28 x 13 inches • • Currently part of the group exhibition titled Unreal Secrist Beach in Chicago opening tomorrow, April 10 from 5-8pm • 📸 Mica Barret @secristbeach • • • #chrisbradley #carriage #classiccar #sculpture #whoisshe

Next month the April Spring 2026 Visiting Artist Colloquium public lectures following the April 8th MFA Candidate Colloquium will be the final month of lectures for the semester, hosted by the @chazenartuw at the Chazen Auditorium, don’t miss them! Get details and reserve your seat at: art.wisc.edu/public-programs/ Apr 15: @blountben is an artist, designer, and letterpress printer best known for work that explores ideas of race, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about living in America. Born and raised in Detroit, he has spent most of his adult life as a graphic designer in the Chicagoland area. A believer in the power of the printed word, he shares his passion for print and design by teaching and speaking to students and educators around the country. Apr 22: @ssyjuco works in photography, sculpture, and installation, moving from handmade and craft-inspired mediums to digital editing and archive excavations. Born in the Philippines, she has focused on how photography and image-based processes are implicated in the construction of exclusionary narratives of history and citizenship. A long-time educator, she is an Associate Professor in Sculpture at the @ucberkeleyofficial . Apr 29: An artist based in Chicago, @mango_chunks_ has developed a sculptural language around representation, poetics of ordinary subjects, trompe l'oeil techniques, and exhibition as a site for the imagination over the past two decades. He uses this creative language to encourage his audience to practice the suspension of disbelief as a method for reconsidering and understanding this shared common world. In addition to his studio practice, he is an instructor of sculpture at the @uchicago . Each Wednesday from 5 to 6:15pm this Spring, attend weekly lectures in person in the @chazenartuw Auditorium by some of the nation’s most prominent visiting artists, critics, and gallery and museum directors at @UWMadison at the Visiting Artist Colloquium! Discover the latest developments in Fine Art, Craft, and Design at our free public talks, reserve your spot at art.wisc.edu/public-programs/ #UWMadison #artsatuw #artschool #artisttalk #madisonwi