Like her paintings, Katherine Bernhardt is as enigmatic as she is direct. On a FaceTime call with me from her warehouse studio in St. Louis, she is colorful – both figuratively and literally, wearing frosted pink 80s-esque lipstick and a multicolored tie-dyed tee shirt – and energetic, eager to virtually take me on a tour of the space (which, funnily and fittingly, has no Wi-Fi). She laughs and shrugs when asked questions about her work, giving quite blunt, amusing answers. Bernhardt's paintings are surely an extension of herself: refreshingly fun, lighthearted, and humorous. Or, perhaps, Bernhardt is an extension of her paintings. The artist has become a household name, a "brand" not different from the ones she paints. Her work, which records a contemporary consumer-oriented, product-obsessed culture, is relevant and important, her creativity undeniable and admirable.
I recently read about your childhood home, where you now live with your son, parents, sister, and niece, is a mishmash of colours, maximalist patterns, stacked storage boxes, piles of stuffed animals, figurines, antiques, and other miscellaneous objects. You grew up surrounded by lots of stuff. How do you think this impacted your painting?
Being surrounded by tons of stuff is very annoying. I had to learn how to use the little space that I had. For example, chopping up vegetables on a cutting board next to a million other things in the way, or trying to cook surrounded by stuff everywhere. It is very annoying! On the other hand, it photographs really well and if you ever need anything, we probably have it. By the way, I recently bought my own house, so I can have my own space. Check it out on Instagram, @5725lindell. I’m currently renovating it in an '80s and Memphis Milano / Miami Vice vibe. The Instagram account is so fun. Your new house is also giving Hockney vibes... growing up, you had to learn how to maximize the little space that you had available to you. I see this in your compositions. Your canvases are filled to the brim with shapes, colors, symbols, and graphics. It’s almost like you don’t want to waste an inch. How do you choose the specific images or motifs to create these compositions?
I choose what I’m attracted to at the time. Right now, I’m into Crocs and showers and mushrooms. In my paintings, I continually add to the lexicon of images that I use. I have several images that keep coming back and others that I forget about.
You often focus on icons or products with playful and exciting branding. Is this true?
Yes and no. I make them interesting. I look for the most obvious, overlooked things and then make them funny or animated in my paintings. Other things are naturally interesting like Doritos or Capri Sun packaging. I feel like “branding” is such a ubiquitous and over used term, what are your thoughts on personal branding, Instagram, etc.?
As an artist these days, I think that is what you’re doing. Creating your own brand. Creating something instantly recognizable, so that when people see your work, they can say oh, "that’s a Katherine Bernhardt.” I think you’ve achieved that, the work feels contemporary but also nostalgic. You paint characters like E.T., the Pink Panther, and Dr. Teeth. Why do you think you’re drawn to incorporating this kind of imagery?
I always loved E.T. Other characters come from what I see around me, on TV or the internet, or from what my son watches on TV. The ’80s are my favorite era. I love the colours and neon.