In collaboration with the Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University, Kimball Art Center presents Less Bad, a comprehensive exhibition showcasing over twenty years of LA-based artist Karl Haendel's work. On display from August 30 - December 1, 2024, Less Bad highlights Haendel's commitment to traditional drawing techniques as both a technical choice and a conceptual statement. This site-specific installation features over 60 graphite-on-paper works, exploring themes such as fatherhood, love, friendship, loss, masculinity, and vulnerability. The title, Less Bad, reflects Haendel's use of self-deprecating humor to convey messages about striving to be a better human.

Less Bad invites viewers to slow down, look closely, and deeply engage with the intersection of art, society, and personal experience. This site-specific installation, featuring over 60 drawings, explores a rich array of themes. While viewing the works, students will practice visual literacy by discussing the imagery, juxtapositions, and underlying themes. They will then create their own graphite-on-paper pieces, exploring how drawing can be a powerful tool for communicating messages and ideas.