Brett Kaufman is a San Francisco-based artist whose work is inspired by the numerous biographies he has read over the years. His attempt to take the essence of a particular reading and transform that person's story into a visual dialog has resulted in his ongoing series of surrealist portraits. Brett's work is created using one of, or a combination of the following: photography, collage, and assemblage. He often thinks of his work as a puzzle that is put together piece by piece, similar to a mosaic. Each image has a separate story to tell;
and likewise, a separate technique involved.
Kaufman's work has been presented in museums, galleries, and alternative spaces as varied as San Francisco City Hall, SF Camerawork, Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum, New York's Monique Goldstrom Gallery, and the Rumbach-Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. In 2016, he participated in 'Interpretations of Vincent', at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, NL. “Ode to Harvey Milk” became the poster and playbill for the San Francisco Opera’s production of “Harvey Milk The Opera”. Brett's imagery, has graced the covers of The Wall Street Journal, The SF Bay Guardian, Frontiers Magazine, and over 30 issues of the San Francisco Sentinel. His art has been enthusiastically received over the years, and sits in many prestigious collections, including the Rene di Rosa Foundation in Napa Valley, the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, and sold through the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.
