Frank Bruno
Frank Bruno: Apocalyptic Painter and Social Critic
Frank Bruno is an artist whose work and thinking have been shaped by his deep study of Messianic and end-of-the-world literature. His apocalyptic paintings and fierce social commentary offer a unique perspective on the world around us.
Early Life and Career
Humble Beginnings
Bruno, was the second eldest son in a depression era family of seven born in Douglas, Arizona in 1925. He was born into a still wild Arizona that had become the last adjoining state to be admitted to the U.S. in a town just east of the sight of the infamous "Gunfight at the OK Corral".
Early in his life he had dreams to see the world outside Arizona and he joined the U.S. Navy with the hopes of serving on the Battleship Arizona. It was soon learned that he was too young and his entry into the navy would have to wait until after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor later that same year. A life changing event, he would later be admitted following his birthday in 1942 and he would begin an adventure that would take him around the world three times in two years.
A Working Artist
After four years, an older and wiser Bruno returned home to San Francisco. He moved on to Los Angles and was admitted to a commercial art program that would provide the foundation of what would become his 70-year career as a professional artist and painter.
In the 1950’s he began to provide illustrations and concept art for the U.S. Army. In 1961 he traveled to New York City and decided to stay in order to create “real art”. Over the next decade he began to paint the first of what would be over 50 apocalyptic and visionary paintings providing his unique take on the world.
A Life's Work
The complexity and detail of the work completed over the next 50 years has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Hours of research combined with hundreds of images – both large and small – were required to tell the stories that he alone saw. His work has been displayed at multiple exhibits including one in 1997 at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. It has been highlighted in a variety of national publications and included over the years in both print and on-line journals that showcased his work as one of America’s most accomplished modern and contemporary artists.