He is now a full-time artist, represented by galleries in Winnetka, Ill., New York,
Pittsburgh and Berlin. He is known for his photo-realistic paintings of bridges. 鈥淚n
1998, one of the galleries that represented me was changing format, to conceptual
art. I was going across one of the Chicago bridges and saw how the light hit the bolts.
I thought, What if I did just a chunk of the bridge and focused on that?鈥� He has subsequently
expanded to other noted 鈥渂ridge鈥� cities, such as New York, New Jersey, Boston, Pittsburgh
and Berlin, and has completed nearly 300 paintings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful form. I鈥檒l kind
of take a different town
or a different aspect and work up a series.鈥� He typically takes 20 to 30 photographs
before starting a new painting to find the angle he wants鈥攎ore than 100 photographs
for a series. An exhibition featuring six of his paintings of New York City bridges
is open to the public through Nov. 27 at 527 Madison Avenue, a boutique commercial
office building at the corner of 54th Street in New York City. The show is open from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Kulla鈥檚 show is the 16th exhibition in 527 Madison鈥檚 ongoing
program showcasing noteworthy emerging and mid-career artists that began in 2014. So
far, Kulla hasn鈥檛 painted the bridges of Louisville, but he said he鈥檚 been thinking
about it. 鈥淚 also want to come to Cincinnati and do the Roebling Bridge. I like the
late 19th century bridges.鈥� He does paint other subjects, but they all tend to be
industrial in nature. 鈥淚鈥檓 not very good at figures,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you look like a
bridge, I could probably paint you.鈥�
Bellarmine News
Bellarmine graduate bridges career divide between social work, art
July 25, 2019
When graduated from Bellarmine in 1970 with a liberal arts degree, he had no intention
of pursuing a career in art. The St. Louis native, who had been drawn to Louisville
by the
Passionist Congregation on Newburg Road, spent a decade in seminary and then, after
earning a master鈥檚 in social work from the University of Chicago, worked another 35
years as a caseworker, administrator, researcher, teacher and consultant
in that city. During this time, artistic pursuits were a hobby. Kulla was a choral
singer and designed sets and costumes for many Gilbert and Sullivan productions; restored
an 1890 Victorian house and his 1907 apartment, both in Chicago鈥檚 Hyde Park neighborhood;
and began doing watercolors in collage. In 1989, the University of Chicago offered
10 free oil painting classes to alumni. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業鈥檝e always been afraid of oil;
I鈥檓 going to do that,鈥欌�� Kulla said by phone as he weeded his garden. 鈥淭hat鈥檚
the extent of my formal training.鈥� He is now a full-time artist, represented by galleries in Winnetka, Ill., New York,
Pittsburgh and Berlin. He is known for his photo-realistic paintings of bridges. 鈥淚n
1998, one of the galleries that represented me was changing format, to conceptual
art. I was going across one of the Chicago bridges and saw how the light hit the bolts.
I thought, What if I did just a chunk of the bridge and focused on that?鈥� He has subsequently
expanded to other noted 鈥渂ridge鈥� cities, such as New York, New Jersey, Boston, Pittsburgh
and Berlin, and has completed nearly 300 paintings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful form. I鈥檒l kind
of take a different town
or a different aspect and work up a series.鈥� He typically takes 20 to 30 photographs
before starting a new painting to find the angle he wants鈥攎ore than 100 photographs
for a series. An exhibition featuring six of his paintings of New York City bridges
is open to the public through Nov. 27 at 527 Madison Avenue, a boutique commercial
office building at the corner of 54th Street in New York City. The show is open from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Kulla鈥檚 show is the 16th exhibition in 527 Madison鈥檚 ongoing
program showcasing noteworthy emerging and mid-career artists that began in 2014. So
far, Kulla hasn鈥檛 painted the bridges of Louisville, but he said he鈥檚 been thinking
about it. 鈥淚 also want to come to Cincinnati and do the Roebling Bridge. I like the
late 19th century bridges.鈥� He does paint other subjects, but they all tend to be
industrial in nature. 鈥淚鈥檓 not very good at figures,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you look like a
bridge, I could probably paint you.鈥�
He is now a full-time artist, represented by galleries in Winnetka, Ill., New York,
Pittsburgh and Berlin. He is known for his photo-realistic paintings of bridges. 鈥淚n
1998, one of the galleries that represented me was changing format, to conceptual
art. I was going across one of the Chicago bridges and saw how the light hit the bolts.
I thought, What if I did just a chunk of the bridge and focused on that?鈥� He has subsequently
expanded to other noted 鈥渂ridge鈥� cities, such as New York, New Jersey, Boston, Pittsburgh
and Berlin, and has completed nearly 300 paintings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful form. I鈥檒l kind
of take a different town
or a different aspect and work up a series.鈥� He typically takes 20 to 30 photographs
before starting a new painting to find the angle he wants鈥攎ore than 100 photographs
for a series. An exhibition featuring six of his paintings of New York City bridges
is open to the public through Nov. 27 at 527 Madison Avenue, a boutique commercial
office building at the corner of 54th Street in New York City. The show is open from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Kulla鈥檚 show is the 16th exhibition in 527 Madison鈥檚 ongoing
program showcasing noteworthy emerging and mid-career artists that began in 2014. So
far, Kulla hasn鈥檛 painted the bridges of Louisville, but he said he鈥檚 been thinking
about it. 鈥淚 also want to come to Cincinnati and do the Roebling Bridge. I like the
late 19th century bridges.鈥� He does paint other subjects, but they all tend to be
industrial in nature. 鈥淚鈥檓 not very good at figures,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you look like a
bridge, I could probably paint you.鈥�