Katherine Bernhardt

Everlasting Butter

Refreshment is rare at an art fair, until you round a corner and meet an instantly recognizable Pink Panther in the shower, an oozy E.T., or a colorfield of Crocs. Like running into your coolest friend amidst a crowd of squares, Katherine Bernhardt paintings punctuate art scenes with fresh air. Incomparably effervescent, Bernhardt's aesthetic reflects in her style and surroundings, including the famous pink house in St. Louis. Her frame of reference is worldwide, and she paints like butter, which is also her most recent subject.

Kristin Farr: What's your "in and out" list for 2024?

Katherine Bernhardt: I've always followed what's been in or not. Right now, I'm listening to the Nigerian singers Burna Boy and Asake, and the British rapper Central Cee. I like the mixture of how they sing, with lyrics from different languages mixed together at the same time. For me, they're in. I also love watching Kanye West and his wife walk around with a pillow as an outfit.

Any other current pop culture inspirations?

I'm into timeless things that don't go out of style. Things that never go out of fashion for me include the immensity of cultures found in places like Mexico City or Ancient Rome.

These days, I'm also interested in butter and the image of butter, and that's been around for a while, too. I looked up the origins of butter and found that it dates back to Neolithic-era Africa from 8000 BCE, so butter's been around longer than lots of things on our planet.

Let's talk about how Dutch wax prints inspired you.