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Artist’s Statement
My work is an interpretation of everyday happenings. Our surroundings, the news, politics, people, and the humor and sorrow of reality are what I use as ideas for my paintings, ceramics, and sculpture. Although much of the work is abstract, it is all connected to the phenomena of our lives. I find that, through art, I can gain a greater understanding of the events happening so quickly that they are hard to fully understand as they occur. The artistic practice is a way to gain insights through study and reflection. The capacity to employ many different media is a way to get at the essence of an idea through the materials and style best suited to that narrative’s presentation.
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Paintings
I start a painting’s concept with a reference to an event. Vaguely recognizable imagery, imagined objects, free brushwork, and faces are combined with a bright color pallet to witness the news of our times. I choose an issue as a starting point. Many times the issues are political. Usually, the voyage of creating the painting leads to a message that is more mysterious leaving the observer the opportunity to openly interpret what they see.
Contact: rbrachman52@gmail.com for pricing and exhibition opportunities.
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Ceramic Sculpture
The ceramic sculptures are playful, colorful compositions meant to convey joy and happiness. They attain their alluring attributes intrinsically by virtue of the infinite possibilities of modeling clay and the shiny surfaces of their glazed surfaces.
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Sculpture Installations
My purpose in creating art is to entertain the viewer and, if possible, to provoke thought on social issues that affect all of us. I do this with engaging, oftentimes humorous imagery that entice the viewer to look more deeply at the sculptures and consider their viewpoints. My favorite subjects are the environment, corporate greed, governmental indifference, war, and big oil’s control of our lives. Some pieces are literal translations of a subject. Others are abstract representations that serve as openings to a search of the subject through the attachment of statements to the sculptures. They also act as what they are, three dimensional designs that the viewer interacts with by seeing, touching, climbing, and going around and inside. I don’t believe most people can be convinced to open or change their minds on a subject through rhetoric. So, I want to let the viewer have fun and hope the ideas resonate with them by association.
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Dinosaur Paintings
The dinosaurs became extinct many millions of years ago, and yet they live on in the fiction that their remains turned into oil. Thus, the symbol for Sinclair Oil of the Brontosaurus. These paintings use dinosaurs to comment on weather change, connecting the extinction of dinosaurs to car culture powered by fossil fuels. The dinosaurs rise out of an oily mess created by the combination of diverse types of paint and liquid coatings. The paints combine while also repelling each other forming hypnotic patterns that are a metaphor for the hypnosis holding our society to the use of oil while it’s use is leading to catastrophe and possible extinction.
Contact: rbrachman52@gmail.com for pricing and exhibition opportunities.
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RESUME
EXHIBITIONS
2024 "The Orange Donald Challenge", Fund Raiser Benefit for Harris/Walz, GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2023 "Color & Clay", GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2022 “Ceramic Sculpture”, GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2021 “Power & Privilege” Montclair Art Gallery, NJ
“Bright Future” Narrowsburg Union, Narrowsburg, NY
“Viral Imaginations” Covid 19, Penn State University
2019 “Celebration”, GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Art Students League, Morito Ceramics Class Show
2018 Collaborative Group Show, Beach Glass Gallery, Beacon, NY
Grand Central Neighborhood Gallery, New York, NY
2017 “Gun Show” GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, NY
2016 BWAC Spring Show, Brooklyn. NY
Art Students League, Saito Class Show, NY, NY
2015 Holiday Show, GAIA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014 City of Yonkers sculpture commission, Yonkers, NY
“Non-Violence”, Fairleigh Dickinson University Art Gallery, Teaneck, NJ
2013 Ossining Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Ossining, NY
Sculpture Key West, Key West, FL
2012 Sculpture Key West, Key West, FL
23rd International Juried Exhibition, Viridian Gallery, NYC
“Perpetual Energy”, 30th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn, NY- East River State Park
2011 “Figure/Ground”, Catskill Artists Society, Liberty Manor, NY
Collaborative Concepts Sculpture Show, Garrison, NY
“World In Pieces”, 29th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn, NY – EFF State Park
2010 6th Sculpture Biennial, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
“Nature Rules”, 28th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Governors Island, NY
2009 “Sculpture Now”, Main Street Stockbridge, MA
"Skulls", Fairleigh Dickenson University Art Gallery, NJ
2008 “In Site” Sculptors Guild of New York, Governors Island, NY
“Relative Environment”, 26th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY
5th Sculpture Biennial, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
2007 “Tossed & Found”, Stamford Town Center, Stamford, CT
“Still Flying”, 25th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brklyn, NY
2006 “Kite Lines”, Mainline Arts Center, Philadelphia, PA
4th Sculpture Biennial, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
“Garden of Delights”24th BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brklyn, NY
2005 “Rapture”, 23rd BWAC Annual Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brooklyn, NY
Outdoor Sculpture Show at Unison Arts Center, New Paultz, NY
“DAPS”, M3 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2004 3rd Biennial Outdoor Sculpture Show at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
“14 Sculptors”, Outdoor Sculpture in Bridgeport, CT
“Chasing Rainbows” 22nd BWAC Annual Outdoor Sculpture Show, Brklyn, NY
2003 “What’s Going On?!”, 21st BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Empire/Fulton State Park, Brooklyn, NY
“Mermaid Show”, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
2002 “Kaleidoscope”, University College Art Gallery, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ
“20th Anniversary Show”, BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn
“On The Tracks” - Creating the Chelsea Sculpture Park, Aurora Gallery, NY, NY
2nd Biennial Outdoor Sculpture Show at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
“Response”, Exit Art Gallery, New York, NY
“9/11 Show” - Artists Respond, Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, NY
2001 “Renewal/Change”, BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
"Milestones for Peace", an international traveling exhibition organized by Creating Peace, Israel.
Buffalo Bayou Art Park, Houston, TX, sculpture installation.
2000 "Bridging the Gap", BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show, Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
"Queens Millennium Festival", Rockaway Artists Alliance, Gateway National Recreation Area
"Cow Parade New York 2000", New York City
"Millennium Sculpture Exhibition", Cold Spring Harbor Lab, Cold Spring, NY
1999 "7th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition", U of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
"Small Works", Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY
"Pets", Bronwyn Keenan Gallery, New York, NY
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REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
2012 Chronogram Magazine, “Collaborative Concepts’ Farm Project”, “Give Us Bread”
Pulse Long Island, “the best week”,“Hope”
2008 New York Times, “Outdoor Sculpture, With an Air of Familiarity”, Benjamin Genocchio, October 10
2007 New York Times, “Recycling With a Twist, When Trash Becomes Art”, Alison Cowan, June 17
2006 New York Times, “Shapes For All Seasons”, Benjamin Genocchio, October 29
2004 Sculpture Magazine, “Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition”, Jonathan Goodman, July/August
Brooklyn Eagle, “In Brooklyn”, Don Evans, May 27
2003 Brooklyn Free Press, “What’s Going On”, Abby Ranger, July 18
The Brooklyn Papers, “Park Views”, Lisa J. Curtis, July 28
24/7, “Art Down Under”, Karen Calabria, August 11
HaberArts, “Evidence of Absence”, John Haber, July 29
2002 New York Times, “Residing Outdoors”, Holland Cotter, August 9, 2002
Brooklyn Papers, “Art in the Park”, Lisa Curtis, August 5, 2002
2001 The New Yorker, “Renewal/Change”, September 3, 2001
The Brooklyn Paper, “Change is Good”, Lisa Curtis, August 6, 2001
2000 Newsday, "Sculpture and Science", Ariella Budick, September 1, 2000
Carroll Gardens Courier, "Bridging the Gap", July 31, 2000
The Brooklyn Papers, "River of Dreams", Lisa Curtis, August 21, 2000
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CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2012 “Perpetual Energy”, co curator, 30th BWAC sculpture show, East River State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2011 “World In Pieces”, co curator, 29th annual BWAC sculpture shows at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY
2010 “Nature Rules”, co curator, 28th annual BWAC Sculpture Show on Governors Island, NYC
2009 “Abundance”, co curator, 27th Annual BWAC Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State
Park, Brooklyn, NY
2008 “Relative Environment”, co curator, 26th Annual BWAC Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State
Park, Brooklyn, NY
2007 “Still Flying”, co curator, 25th Annual BWAC Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State
Park, Brooklyn, NY
2006 “Garden of Delights”, co curator, 24th Annual BWAC Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State
Park, Brooklyn, NY
2005 “Rapture”, co curator, 23rd Annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2004 “Chasing Rainbows”, co curator, 22nd annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2003 “What’s Going On?!”, co curator, 21st annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2002 “20th Anniversary Show”, co curator of the 20th Annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2001 “Renewal/Change”, co curator of the 19th annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
2000 "Bridging the Gap", co curator of the 18th annual BWAC Outdoor Sculpture Show at Empire/Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, NY
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PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Dr. James Watson, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Jane Clark, Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown,NY
Jerry Saltz, New York, NY
Leon Schraeger, Great Neck, New York
American Bible Society, New York, NY
Dave Porterfield, Madison, WI
Brandywine Realty Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Joy Walker, Brooklyn, NY
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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The Sculptors Guild of New York
The International Sculpture Center
The Art Students League of New York
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GRANTS/AWARDS
2000 Puffin Foundation LTD.
2008 Puffin Foundation LTD
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EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Wisconsin
Art Students League, NYC