"People will say things like 'I could do that' or 'it looks like a kindergartener did that,' so that's funny to me. It's like, try to do it, you can't do it. It is definitely high and low, it's kind of silly to paint E.T.s, but, like I said, what else are you going to paint? It's like a self-portrait show."
Inspired by the Steven Spielberg’s 1982 iconic movie, E.T., the present work belongs to a series dedicated to the titular hero. Elizabeth Bernhardt, the artist’s sister, explained “Katherine and E.T. have lots in common. Growing up in the suburbs, she immediately identified with E.T., who himself landed in a suburban setting and could not figure out how to get away from it while suffering great existential pain” (Elizabeth Bernhardt cited in Ibid.).
Rendered in vibrant hues of orange and blue, the present composition epitomises Bernhardt’s output heavily inspired by her childhood imagery of the 80s aesthetic. Playful and absurd at times, Bernhardt’s works provide a commentary on popular culture fixations, on trends arising with each generation, and on imagery ingrained within our collective memory.
“I always try to go back. That's what's important to me. I mean, what else are you going to paint? The E.T. stuff came about because I was here last summer and I found my sticker book. All these things are in it. I have E.T. stickers, Pepsi stickers, strawberry stickers, Yoda and Star Wars stickers. So I decided to paint them.”
"I love painting because I can make lots of colour in it." | Katherine Bernhardt | Louisiana Channel
