above: Mark Bradley-Shoup, Summer Gray Gas Station in Patine Blue There's something about Mark Bradley-Shoup's work that I find really appealing and it's no wonder. His representational works on paper, abstract paintings and mixed media works each have elements that remind me of four of my favorites artists; Richard Diebenkorn's landscapes and abstracts, Ed Ruscha's Standard Oil gas station studies and prints, Wayne Thiebaud's composition and painterly style and Robert Rauschenberg's collages. Bradley-Shoup's simple and subdued color palettes, clean lines and structured compositions - all executed with a certain restraint - result in compelling and aesthetically attractive works. Below are several of my favorite pieces of his. Representational: Mixed Media: Abstract works: Mark Bradley-Shoup earned his BFA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Painting and Drawing and his MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Studio Art. Bradley-Shoup produces meticulously crafted paintings and works on paper based in part on his own manipulated photographs of both urban and rural environments. He employs extensive use of masking tape, rulers and x-acto blades to generate precise areas of paint that emphasize the surface texture of his compositions in a way that undermines any elements of photorealist illusion. Prevalent themes in his work include “consumption and growth,” “expansion and recession,” and “the elegance of brutality.” He has worked with various non-profit agencies and educational institutions including the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Association for Visual Arts, Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, the Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga Parks, Recreation, Arts and Culture, and the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. Currently, Bradley-Shoup is based in Chattanooga and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Mark Bradley-Shoup If you would like to get in touch with Mark, feel free to email [email protected]