New York-based artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd have been making art together since 2000. Together, they have forged the foundation for a rich and productive creative practice from their common memories, experiences and close familial bond.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, the brothers have developed an expanded practice consisting of text, drawing, sculpture, installation, performance and design. They have combined a range of techniques, forms and practices, forging a unique aesthetic vocabulary. Steven and William have had major solo museum shows at The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Mingei International Museum, San Diego, Parrish Art Museum, Watermill, NY, Saint Louis Art Museum and their works are included in private and museum collections internationally, including Musée des Arts Décoratifs, LACMA, the Kennedy Center, Agnes Gund Collection, Beth Rudin DeWoody and Shelly and Philip Aarons. They have received awards from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council and the Barbara and Donald Tober Foundation.
In 2006 Steven and William founded Scrollathon, empowering and engaging underserved communities through artistic collaborations. To date, Scrollathon has served over 10,000 people from diverse ages, backgrounds and abilities to create public artworks across the country.
Right Here. Right Now.
The Ladds' interactive sculpture, titled Right Here. Right Now., is composed of beads hand cut from cedar trees woven into textiles and mounted onto a structure creating a covered pathway.
During 2020 and 2021 Steven and William were nourished by nature while on their property in Germantown, NY. That experience heavily influenced the concept for their work specifically created for an outdoor setting.
Cedar trees dot their land and when clearing some for building, they became enamored with the many facets of the wood. Immediately upon cutting cedar one is enveloped in its aroma, and it transported the artists to their grandmother’s cedar chest where she introduced them to her treasured textiles. They began cutting small rounds from the branches and trunks, revealing the beautiful, soft, rose color. An immediate connection was made with the main threads of their art practice and they began to “weave” them into textiles, envisioning them as beads. These textiles become the walls and the ceiling of an all-encompassing space, while a pathway through the work encourages engagement and an elevated shift in perspective.