I first met Dennis Bredow and his wife Krista 11 years ago, in 2013, when they walked into the gallery that I worked at in California. A common first impression of Dennis Bredow might be, this is the nicest person I’ve ever met; and that was certainly my first impression of Dennis, but my second impression was even more powerful when I saw his art. Because I instantly wanted to work with him!
His cool kindness is infectious, and Dennis makes it easy and exciting to work with him. As a result of our partnership, we sold 149 paintings of Dennis’ over a 10 year period of time. It didn’t take long for Dennis to become a dear friend and an artist I’ll always champion; so it’s easy to understand why Dennis Bredow was my first phone call when I decided to open my gallery in Houston, Texas.
SAVE WATER - BUY ART mural
On Memorial Day weekend in 2015, Dennis transformed a drab and blank wall in Downtown San Luis Obispo, California across from the gallery into a cheeky message about California’s ongoing drought.
CowParade SLO sculpture
From September 2016 through May 2017, CowParade SLO showcased 101 life-size cow works of art around San Luis Obispo county. Raising $250,000 dollars for local charities, the impact on the community was immense, and Dennis Bredow’s Jesse/Jane Cow was the top selling cow at auction raising $55,000. The international parent company of CowParade selected Dennis Bredow’s cow to be made into a small tabletop collectible resin cow.
Bredow’s art is clever, it’s bold and it’s some of the most well crafted work you’ll ever see. He’s been profiled by The Roadcast, Canvas Rebel, Shoutout LA, Artist a Day and even caught the eye of The Jealous Curator.
Los Angeles native Dennis Bredow examines, celebrates, and questions the tireless optimism of mid-twentieth century America in his retro-modern artwork. Using acrylic, serigraphy, and found object assemblage, he creates beautifully handcrafted pieces which bear the hallmarks of 1950's craftsmanship and graphic design – inviting the viewer into a conversation about the idealism of post-war America. By observing the imagery and messaging of the era through a modern day lens, his work seeks to expose the tension between appearance and reality.
Abandoning traditional canvas in favor of solid birch panels allows for heavy distressing of the paint as well as the application of vintage advertisements, hardware, and other found materials. The application of multiple layers of distressed paint and ephemera gives each piece a unique narrative of process and history, while a pristine coat of resin instills each painting with a sense of permanence.
Dennis secured his first advertising agency internship at the age of 15. After studying illustration and graphic design at California State University Fullerton, he transitioned to full-time advertising. He spent nearly two decades in the advertising and film industries before turning his attention to his own work. Dennis currently lives and paints in Los Angeles, CA.