Mark Bradford (b. 1961) constructs impressive, large-scale abstractions that merge the subject and substance of urban life, low and high culture, order and chaos. Constructed from the thickly
layered street posters that cover the walls, windows, and lampposts of his native South Central Los Angeles, the large-scale abstractions explore the idea of the ruin and the processes of urban
decay while recording the community's informal economic patterns. Carol E. Foster delves into Bradford's creative process and innovative use of found materials and reveals the influence of
earlier artists, such as Piranesi and Leonardo, on his newest body of work. Focusing on Bradford's method of establishing a metaphoric relationship between the materials he employs and the
images he creates, this book offers a perspective on a rising star of contemporary art.
