Ed Broner | Ideas And Symbols Of Modern Urban Subcultures
d Broner, a Paris-born artist, bridges graffiti and fine art, exploring urban subcultures and human nature. His work, from street art to gallery pieces, invites us to question reality and authenticity
Ed Broner, a distinguished French artist born in Paris in 1971, has significantly impacted the contemporary art scene with his innovative blend of graffiti and fine art.
Ed Broner at Castanier Gallery
Transitioning from the vibrant streets of Paris to the international stage, Broner's journey began in the late 1980s, deeply rooted in the graffiti subculture.
Ed Broner Portrait of the Artist and one of his stunning oil stick paintings | Image Courtesy by the Artist
His work serves as a poignant exploration of modern urban subcultures, where he meticulously weaves together elements of authenticity, realness, and a profound inquiry into the human condition.
Especially in his paintings, he highlights the beauty of realness and authenticity, while at the same time honoring the ideas and symbols of modern urban subcultures.
In his style, he combines influences from graffiti and contemporary painting as well as from Aboriginal and African art, thus opening a dialogue between “Western” and “non-Western” cultures.
In reflecting and often subversively ironizing current aesthetics, Ed Broner questions the nature of humanity in a postmodern world.
ED BRONER TELLS US A BIT ABOUT HIMSELF:
As a teenager, I started to paint graffiti in Paris and was one of the first generations in Europe which embraced this underground and new art movement.
Ed Broner | Oilstick drawings | Image Courtesy by the Artist
At that time, painting became therapy and a big passion.
I grew up without real parents, so I had to educate myself and wanted to know everything about art history and artists from different cultures.
Therefore, in the 90s I traveled to Africa and to India, where I painted with artists and stayed as well with an aboriginal artist community in the Australian northern territories to learn about them.
Beginning in 2000 I planned to move to NY to finally focus on canvases and become a professional painter.
In the meantime, I discovered Berlin through my ex-girlfriend Anna who was from Hamburg.
In Germany the painting scene was still vivid and going on. They kept this painting tradition that we had lost in Paris for a while.
Besides a few important artists like Pierre Soulage, there was the young artist generation, and there were the galleries and French museums that were into conceptual art.
It wasn’t really exciting for me to be there anymore.
Germans, like the Americans, are pushing and promoting their artists all around, this is not the case in France.
Also coming from a graffiti background, I constantly felt social discrimination from the elitist contemporary art world.
A lot of classical painters nowadays are taking their inspirations and memes from our aesthetics, but they don’t support us or talk about the cultural rip-off that is going on.
"Peu Être Que Je Suis Sans Repères C’est La Vie, Faut Pas S´En Faire .." -PNL -> ( Translation: Maybe I am without guidelines this is life, don't be careful) favorite Quote of Ed Broner
The digital era is creating change, especially the artist relations and dependence on art dealers and art institutions.
Nowadays we can be independent, we can sell works to collectors worldwide in two dm, curate our own exhibitions or blogs on Instagram, and show our studios and works in our stories.
It has given every artist a voice and a window to the world, when before it was just for the chosen ones by art world elites.
This Covid crisis made the world even more digital and less physical.
Often in dark times I feel the need to create a more positive reality with my paintings, and I become more sensitive to creating easy works with warm colors.
In Berlin I have a big apartment and turned it into my studio.
There everything is dedicated to painting. The kitchen for paper works, one-bedroom became the storage room, another bedroom became the large spray paint space. There is an abstracts studio and the living room is for oil paintings, with a bed in a corner and a sofa, nothing more.
Like Louise Bourgeois, I wanted to be connected and dedicated completely to my work without having unnecessary comfort or other distractions.
To me success is something abstract.
Art and painting have been a part of my life for the past 32 years and the only thing I want is to practice, improve and develop.
If I could leave a body of work that will survive me and will have its own life, that will be a success.
For now, I am working on a series of figures which are related to cultures.
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I will soon be launching a souvenir shop with some ceramics and carpets that I recently produced.
I am also curating a group show entitled "Now Now" at the Breach Gallery in Miami.
Ed Broner | abstracted painting calles "Post vandalism" | Spray on canvas | Photo: Images courtesy by the Artist
It's a new contemporary art gallery that Fabien Castanier and I are opening this month.
It will be a place where we want to allow dedicated artists to show their work, without caring about social backgrounds, race, genders, or sexual orientations.
I am also part of a group show in Sydney in October and must produce works for it.
Thank you for the interview and if I would say the last word it would be… believe in yourself you are great…
Love,
Ed Broner
ED BRONER x ANTHONY COLEMAN
MAR 09-30 2024
OPENING RECEPTION SAT. MARCH 9, 6-9PM
BREACH GALLERY PRESENTS, “TOGETHER”, AN EXHIBITION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS ED BRONER AND ANTHONY COLEMAN. TAKING PLACE MARCH 9 – 30, THE SHOW PRESENTS A SERIES OF UNIQUE PAPER PIECES FROM THE TWO ARTISTS. INCORPORATING MOTIFS FROM POP CULTURE AND URBAN LIFE, THEIR WORK REFLECTS AN INTIMATE DIALOGUE BETWEEN IMAGINATION AND MODERN MYTHOLOGIES.
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