Baltimore Museum of Art Acquires Mark Bradford Works Amid Biennale Ties

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has announced a significant round of acquisitions, including Mark Bradford's monumental painting 'My Grandmother Felt the Color' (2016) and his video 'Niagara' (2005). The purchase coincides with Bradford's selection to represent the United States at the 2017 Venice Biennale, where BMA director Christopher Bedford serves as commissioner and co-curator. Other acquisitions include an oil on canvas by Abstract Expressionist Norman Lewis, a digital animation by Paul Chan ('1st Light', 2005), and a photograph by Ellsworth Kelly ('Stairway, St. Martin', 1977). Bedford stated that each work is by artists fundamental to American modern and contemporary art, many in direct dialogue with social and political conditions of their time. The museum aims to develop a new, global vision of American art. Bradford's market has surged: his 2012 work 'Building "The big white whale"' sold for $3.52 million at Sotheby's in spring 2016, up from $1.6 million for 'Mithra' (2008) in November 2013. The BMA's acquisitions were supported by anonymous donors.