MARK BRADFORD

150 Portrait Tone Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles

Press Release

Mark Bradford’s 150 Portrait Tone, a mural-size composition that contains elements of both abstraction and realism, is based on an idea for a work that the artist conceived after the fatal shooting of Philando Castile by a police officer in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in July 2016. Castile, a nutrition services supervisor at an elementary school, was shot after being pulled over in his car—an incident that was livestreamed on Facebook by Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

The painting features excerpts of Reynolds’s dialogue from the video. The title, 150 Portrait Tone, refers to the name and color code of the pink acrylic used throughout the painting. Like the now-obsolete “flesh” crayon in the Crayola 64 box (renamed “peach” in 1962), the color “portrait tone” carries inherent assumptions about who, exactly, is being depicted. In the context of Bradford’s painting, the title presents a sobering commentary on power and representation.

About the Artist

Mark Bradford is a world-renowned American contemporary artist best known for his monumental abstract paintings and installations, which fuse discarded urban debris and paint into dense, map-like surfaces that probe the sociopolitical structures of race, class, and gender in urban America.

View Artist Profile

Also Exhibiting at Los Angeles County Museum of Art

All Exhibitions

ROBERT IRWIN Miracle Mile Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles

BARBARA KRUGER Untitled (Shafted) Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles

About the Gallery

Founded in 1965, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a cornerstone of cultural life in California and the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 150,000 objects spanning ancient to contemporary art. Reflecting the city’s diverse communities, LACMA has developed particular strengths in Asian art, Latin American art—from pre-Columbian works to modern and contemporary practice—and Islamic art, alongside significant holdings in European and American art, photography, film and media, decorative arts, and design. Together, these collections position LACMA as a key destination for visitors seeking major art museums in Los Angeles.

View Gallery Profile

Address

5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States

Opening Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–7 pm
Closed Wednesday

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

323 857-6000
http://www.lacma.org/

Opening hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–7 pm
Closed Wednesday

Magazine Gallery Platform Advisory

Ocula Magazine

A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.

Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.

Learn more about Ocula Magazine

Ocula Gallery Platform

Showcasing the best of the art world.

Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.

Learn more about Ocula Membership

Ocula Advisory

Specialises in the sale of major artworks.

Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.

Learn more about our team and services

The art world in focus