Who is Brad Pitt?
Brad Pitt is a highly renowned and celebrated American actor and film producer. Born on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Pitt rose to fame in the late 1980s and 1990s with his charismatic and versatile performances in a wide range of films.
He has received critical acclaim and numerous accolades for his acting abilities, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "12 Monkeys" (1995). Over the years, Brad Pitt has established himself as one of the most prominent and influential figures in Hollywood.
Some of his most notable films include "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "Legends of the Fall" (1994), "Fight Club" (1999), "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) and its sequels, "Troy" (2004), "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), "Inglourious Basterds" (2009), and "Moneyball" (2011), among many others.
Apart from his acting career, Brad Pitt is also known for his philanthropic work and involvement in various social causes. He has been an advocate for sustainable architecture, environmental conservation, and humanitarian efforts, including projects to rebuild sustainable housing for those affected by natural disasters.
In addition to his professional achievements, Brad Pitt's personal life has garnered considerable media attention, especially his relationships with other high-profile celebrities and his role as a father to his six children.
With his talent, charisma, and philanthropic endeavors, Brad Pitt has become an iconic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to be a prominent and influential presence in both film and humanitarian work.
Brad Pitt’s art collection
Brad Pitt is known to have a diverse and impressive art collection. He has curated a personal art collection comprising works by some of the most esteemed artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, and his active engagement in the art world reflects his commitment to investing in and supporting the arts. Similar to numerous private art collectors, celebrities typically maintain privacy about the details of their art collections. Nevertheless, some of the artists whose works have been publicly linked to Brad Pitt's collection include Mark Rothko, Yves Klein and Edward Hopper.
One of the standout pieces in Pitt's collection is "Etude pour la Femme en Bleu," a painting by the late French artist Yves Klein. This blue monochrome artwork showcases Klein's distinctive style and is considered a highly significant work of post-war art. Known for his admiration of Klein's art, Pitt has reportedly invested in multiple pieces by the artist over time. Additionally, he is also an enthusiast of Edward Hopper, the American artist celebrated for his realistic portrayals of everyday life, and has acquired some of Hopper's paintings for his collection.
When it comes to street art, Brad Pitt stands out as an exceptional collector. Among the artists represented in Pitt's collection is Jean-Michel Basquiat, an acclaimed American artist renowned for his distinctive graffiti and street art style. Basquiat's art frequently delves into cultural and social themes of his era, and his masterful incorporation of text, symbols, and imagery creates a compelling visual narrative. Notably, Pitt's admiration for Basquiat's work led him to acquire several of the artist's paintings, including "Untitled (Pecho/Oreja)," which fetched over $8 million at an auction in 2007.
Pitt is among the fortunate few who successfully convinced Banksy to create a commissioned work, and as a result, now owns this extraordinary and rare piece. Brad Pitt commissioned a custom Banksy mural depicting Hurricane Katrina, adorning a wall in his private art gallery. In addition to Basquiat and Banksy, it is likely that Brad Pitt's art collection includes pieces from other prominent artists as well, reflecting his eclectic taste and support for various artistic styles.
In 2009, during Switzerland's Art Basel, which is renowned as the world's foremost contemporary art fair, Brad Pitt acquired a painting titled "Etappe" by German artist Neo Rauch. The artwork had a listing price of $960,000. Neo Rauch is a prominent German artist known for his distinctive figurative paintings that blend elements of realism, surrealism, and historical references. His artworks often feature enigmatic narratives and dreamlike scenes, which have earned him international acclaim in the contemporary art world.
Pitt owns a photograph by Danny Lyon, which captures an iconic image in Clarksdale, Mississippi, featuring a police officer giving a two-finger salute. Danny Lyon is an American photographer and filmmaker known for his powerful and documentary-style images that capture various social and political issues, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement and other important moments in American history.
Brad Pitt has also amassed a collection of artworks by artists such as Marcel Dzama, recognized for his narrative-rich drawings, paintings, and sculptures with a playful touch. Additionally, his collection includes pieces by Michael Heizer, an American sculptor celebrated for his monumental land art installations and earthworks. Yoshitomo Nara, a Japanese artist, is also featured in Pitt's collection for his creations encompassing artful characters that exude an air of innocence yet carry a subtle mischievousness.
Apart from his art collection, Brad Pitt has taken an active role in investing in the art world. In 2013, he co-founded Make It Right, a Los Angeles-based art and design firm with a mission to provide affordable and sustainable housing for those impacted by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. As part of this endeavor, Pitt commissioned various architects to design homes that not only served practical purposes but also boasted aesthetically pleasing features, incorporating sustainable elements like solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems.
Beyond his personal collection and investment in Make It Right, Pitt's engagement in the art world also includes promoting art education and supporting various art-related initiatives. In 2017, he attended a fundraising event for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, aimed at raising funds for the museum's educational programs. Additionally, Pitt generously donated $600,000 to the museum's acquisition fund, dedicated to acquiring valuable works of art for their collection.
The Sculptural Journey of Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt's fascination with sculpture has led him to actively engage in its creation. This artistic involvement of Brad Pitt started gaining broader recognition around the mid-2000s, when he began working with Houseago, a British-born artist known for his large-scale sculptures. Together, they co-created artworks, and Pitt was actively involved in the creative process. One notable project they worked on was a series of sculptures that were featured in an exhibition titled "Theaster Gates and Thomas Houseago: A Clay Sermon" at the Rebuild Foundation's Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago in 2015.
Brad Pitt took an unexpected step into the world of sculpture last year, revealing a collection of meticulously crafted pieces at an art institution in Finland, marking what seems to be his inaugural public art showcase. The sculptures, introduced by Pitt, were presented during an exhibition held at the Sara Hildén Art Museum situated in Tampere, Finland. This debut was integrated into a broader exhibition curated by British artist Thomas Houseago, accompanied by the inclusion of artworks from Australian musician Nick Cave.
The art museum announced that Pitt's sculptural works were making its inaugural public appearance. Displayed within the exhibition are nine of Pitt's creations, featuring an array of intriguing pieces. Prominent among them is a dwelling-shaped form molded from transparent silicone, subjected to bullet impact. Notably, Pitt's inaugural sculpture, titled "House A Go Go" and dating back to 2017, is also included. This miniature, standing at 46 centimeters in height, is constructed from tree bark and exhibits a somewhat primitive assembly, held together by tape.
The more substantial artworks within the collection encompass a bronze box of coffin dimensions. This box features depictions of hands, feet, and faces striving to breach the structure from diverse angles. Another significant piece is the wall-mounted plaster sculpture titled "Aiming At You I Saw Me But It Was Too Late This Time" (2020), portraying a confrontation involving eight figures engaged in a gunfight.
Jonathan Jones, a critic from The Guardian, remarked that Pitt emerges as an “extremely impressive artist”, managing to avoid the pitfalls of celebrity art. Instead, he unveils works that are undeniably potent and valuable by any measure.
Selena Mattei
