Chris Sharp Gallery presents the first solo exhibition of Joe Brainard (1941-1994) in Los Angeles. Consisting of 20 works produced between 1966 and 1977, the exhibition presents a broad overview of Brainard's two-dimensional practice featuring paintings on paper, drawings, and collage works. Brainard, closely associated with the New York School of poetry and considered an early progenitor of American pop, worked across multiple mediums with restless inventiveness, exploring themes of popular culture, religious imagery, still life, portraits, and gay iconography. His work is characterized by humor, intimacy of scale, and a diaristic tone that strikes as frank and revelatory. The selection offers both those unfamiliar with Brainard's work a precious opportunity to discover it, and those familiar with it a chance to see rarely exhibited pieces.
