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Katherine Bernhardt & COCO FRIO at Embajada

October 12, 2020

Artist: Katherine Bernhardt & COCO FRIO (K.Bernhardt/J.Figueroa/F.Oller)

Exhibition title: MayoKetchup

Venue: Embajada, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Date: August 8 – October 3, 2020

Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and Embajada, San Juan

Embajada is pleased to present MayoKetchup, Katherine Bernhardt’s third solo show in San Juan (previous exhibits held in 2005, 2013). Her current exhibition features fresh work focusing on the themes of summer 2020—an unusual time in Puerto Rico and around the world as we face much uncertainty. Her paintings were made in Santurce this summer—so please note that the watery, drippy classic combinations of Bernhardt’s acrylic colours that have only, just moments ago, dried on the canvas. Although the colours really are dry, they still look wet. One reason for the illusion is that there was a limited supply of gesso available on the island—and without multiple coats of it applied to the canvas before painting, the foundation remains more porous than usual. The colours look like they are bleeding more into the canvas, as if they were stained onto the canvas—and the surfaces now more closely reflect Bernhardt’s love of stain paintings, tie-dyes and batik fabrics. Many of the colours in this show also reflect popular shades of pinks and yellows experimented with across San Juan that also happen to be featured in Ozuna’s video, Caramelo.

The show explores some current health mandates, particularly the importance of wearing a mask to keep public health and safety under control. Although some people apparently didn’t at first understand the importance of wearing masks, here in the show wearing a mask filters into the lives of everyone, including some of Bernhardt’s favourite magical characters like the Pink Panther who likes to wash his hands and then mask up and set good examples. Paintings feature the Pink Panther in a variety of activities but always responsibly wearing his mask and practicing appropriate social distancing. One work features him snacking on tostones dipped in salmon-shaded mayoketchup, one of Bernhardt’s favourite local items hence the name of this exhibit. Once we see the panther enjoying a Saturday afternoon as best he can—but he covers up the fact that he’s freaking out inside trying to avoid coronavirus but knows that it is probably around him. He understands the importance of mental and physical relaxation that could potentially boost his immune response to an incoming viral threat. Despite a busy schedule, on occasion he purposefully attempts to enjoy life, temporarily relieving himself from the social media talk of it based on science vs. fantasy, and he considers the effects that so much mixed information has on his (and on all of his family’s and friends’) mental health.

Since Bernhardt had her first solo show on Borikén fifteen years ago, she has tried to spend as much time as possible here. When she is not busy painting, you can find her talking about art at Cafe Mallorca with her peers, visiting artists’ studios and exchanging ideas with them, listening to local musical artists like Ozuna, admiring the greenness of the rainforest while hiking around Casa Cuboy, listening to the sound of coquí in the darkness, considering different hues for upcoming paintings based on colourful fountains such as the one at the Plaza las Delicias in Ponce, eating lunch at artists’ amazingly decorated homes, admiring the natural wonder of Charco el Hippie, or perhaps exchanging ideas in La Perla known for its colourful creative projects. She appreciates the genuine exploration of colour on homes and streets and fashions, possibly as a reflection of colours seen in nature across the island. All of her humanistic, artistic and cultural experiences have made her feel very much at home here, “in synch” with the place. She especially loves all that San Juan has to offer her as an active artist at work in the midst of its stimulating history, culture, color, music, architecture, art, markets, philosophy, aesthetics, etc.—and she considers the city her second home. Bernhardt hopes you enjoy her show and that you stay safe and healthy all summer and into the future.

CARAMELO de OZUNA

Uoo oh (oye ma’)
Baby, baby
Ozuna

Aunque no pueda tengo la curiosidad (la curiosidad)
Aunque no pretendo quedarme me da un poco de
ansiedad

Y es que en la vida todo se puede
Esté bien o esté mal (esté mal)
Pero podré vivir con la culpa de que al menos una vez
más (baby)

Te volví a probar
Tu boca no pierde el sabor a caramelo-
oh Nos dejamos llevar
Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-
oh Te volví a probar

Tú boca no pierde el sabor a caramelo-
oh Nos dejamos llevar
Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-oh

Esa boquita tan dulce sabor a caramelo
Ella es un ángel, pero si la tienta caliente
fuego Siempre en alta, no necesita vuelo
A nadie le cuenta cómo es que la consuelo (woh-oh)
Ella es muy atractiva
Prende de la sativa
Siempre provocativa
Soltera vive la vida
En traje de baño es que se ve bien explosiva
Todos los domingos sport con todas las combi Adidas

Dale ven ven mátame
Me dice dale baby maltrátame

Si quiere ir de viaje solo déjame saber
Si te enamoras yo nada voy a perder
Ya tú eres mía

Dale dale ven ven mátame
Me dice dale baby maltrátame
Si quiere ir de viaje solo déjame saber
Si te enamoras yo nada voy a perder (uo-oh)

Te volví a probar
Tu boca no pierde el sabor a caramelo-oh

Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-
oh Te volví a probar
Tú boca no pierde el sabor a caramelo-oh

Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-oh (eh, eh)

Siempre seré tu bandolero (tu bandolero)
Te juro que de to’as tú amor va primero (va primero)
No tiene que preocuparte por lo que quiero (quiero)
Siempre yo voy a estar por si ese es tu miedo
Mi amor me complace

Hay pares que me tiran pero en flow le da clase (clase)
Tu mai y tu pai se robaron to’a la base (oh-oh)
‘Tás tan dura que como ella cada cien años nace

Dale ven ven mátame
Me dice dale baby maltrátame (maltrátame)

Si quiere ir de viaje solo déjame saber
Si te enamoras yo nada voy a perder

Dale dale ven ven mátame
Me dice dale baby maltrátame
Si quiere ir de viaje solo déjame saber
Si te enamoras yo nada voy a perder (uo-oh)
Nos dejamos llevar
Te volví a probar
Tu boca no pierde el sabor a caramelo-
oh Nos dejamos llevar
Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-
oh Te volví a probar

Nos dejamos llevar
Tú eres mi bandolera y yo soy tu bandolero-oh

El negrito ojos claros
Ozuna
jeje
Dímelo Gotay
Dynell
Yasso

Katherine Bernhardt (b. 1975, St. Louis, MO) lives and works in St. Louis, Missouri. She is known for brightly colored and often large-scale paintings that depict all-over patterns of everyday objects combined with characters and symbols from pop culture like E.T., Garfield, Mickey Mouse, Nike swooshes, animals, cigarettes, tacos and bottles of Coca-Cola. She has explored several different motifs in her work including supermodels, Swatch watches, and Moroccan carpets. Bernhardt uses acrylic and spray paint in a direct, straightforward style and draws no hierarchy between her subject matter, which might be influenced by trips to the corner deli, fruit stand, or 99-cent store. Katherine is represented by Canada, New York.

Recent solo exhibitions include Done with Xanax, Canada, New York (2020), Big in Japan, NANZUKA, Tokyo, Japan (2019), Garfield on Scotch Tape, Xavier Hufkens, Brussels, (2019); Green, CANADA, NY (2018); Watermelon World, Mario Testino Museum, Lima, Peru (2018); Concrete Jungle Love, Lever House, New York (2017); Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (2017); and the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO (2017). Bernhardt’s paintings are included in the collection of the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington D.C, the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, PA, the Rubell Collection, Miami, among others.