Venus Over Manhattan is currently presenting a temporary window display of new sculptures by Brad Kahlhamer. These sculptures, made from wire and bells, take inspiration from traditional Native American dreamcatchers. Kahlhamer reclaims and transforms this symbol through his art, imparting a modern aesthetic and contrasting with the delicate, natural materials traditionally used.

Dreamcatchers are traditional Native American objects believed to protect sleepers from bad dreams by catching them in their webs. Kahlhamer envisions his dreamcatcher as “cosmic nets” or “enriched dream reactors”, aggregating every dream catcher in the United States into a massive constellation. This concept not only amplifies the dream catcher’s protective qualities but also reimagines it as a unifying symbol of collective dreams and aspirations.

Brad Kahlhamer (b. 1956, Tucson, AZ) is a multidisciplinary artist who creates monumental paintings and intricate sculptures. His creative practice reflects the multitudinous nature of his personal identity. Kahlhamer is of indigenous descent, adopted by German parents, and came of age in the bustling world of the 1980s and 90s New York art scene. At once a careful draftsman and an underground punk musician, Kahlhamer straddles many creative stratospheres. Kahlhamer’s work has been the subject of numerous solo presentations, including recent exhibitions at Galerie Sophie Scheidecker, Paris; Garth Greenan Gallery, New York; Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson; and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale. His work is held in the permanent collections of many public institutions including the Denver Art Museum, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among many others. He currently lives and works between New York City, New York; and Mesa, Arizona.