(Left to Right) "Critical Laputa," 2012. Gouache, acrylic, pencil on paper, polyester 9 x 12 in. "The Wall," 2018–19. Oil, metal leaf, rough diamonds on panel, 16 x 16 in
Bruce Conkle declares an affinity for mysterious natural phenomena such as snow, fire, rainbows, crystals, volcanos, tree burls, and meteorites.
He examines contemporary attitudes toward the environment, including deforestation, climate change, and extinction. Conkle’s work often deals with man’s place within nature, and frequently examines what he calls the “misfit quotient” at the crossroads. His work has been shown around the world, including Reykjavik, Ulaanbaatar, Rio De Janeiro, New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, and Portland. He has completed public commissions for the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet/MAX Light Rail, and Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Student Union Public Art + Residency. In 2010, Conkle received an Oregon Arts Commission Artist Fellowship. Conkle received a Master of Fine Arts from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.