DeborahLBrand

DEBORAH L. BRAND - ARTIST

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

I am a fiber artist and sculptor with a predilection for fantasy that is suggestive of literary and musical ideas. I favor intense color and baroque forms that create a sense of physical energy.

In college I studied painting. My teacher, John Ferrin taught that we should attempt to make our paintings 'sing'. So many decades later, I keep his comment in my mind as I work. Not only do my constructions sing, they are light hearted and appear to move like the flow of music.

I was always a maker. As a child I used diverse found objects to create tiny imaginary worlds. Many years later, when earning my MFA, I discovered my preference for working three dimensionally. (Even my wall pieces move towards the viewer, almost becoming sculptural.)

Circular objects: fans, coils, funnels and rings are very appealing. I take pleasure in using disparate materials and odd combinations. Paper flowers and beading enliven old etchings, rusted steel fragments are covered with lace and crocheted forms hover over images of renaissance architecture.

A few years ago, I discovered the wonder of sewing with glass beads. These tiny pieces of light enhance my work, adding sparkle and glow. Best of all, the slow process involved in this process takes me to a deep level of creative thought.

Today, whether working two or three dimensionally, I consider myself an assemblagest who works with found materials, the castoffs of life. I edit these objects and wait for the right pieces to come along and complete my creative dream. Sometimes fragments live in my studio for years, until the right partners are found. When a piece is completed, I add color. I paint and wait, paint and wait, until finally, the object comes alive and makes music. When it sings, my work is done.

My work brings me joy which I hope to share with those who look carefully.

I aim to delight and amuse as I give pleasure to my audience.

Juried Group Exhibitions

"Third Annual Invitational", NohoM55 Gallery, Manhattan, June/July 2019
"Form & Fantasy", The Village Center of Port Jefferson, New York March, April 2018
"The Primacy of Color", George Billis Gallery, Chelsea, New York November, 2016
"Yard Works", Chashama juried, October 2016, 1133 Sixth Avenue, New York
Narthex Gallery, St. Peters's Church, Manhattan, January 2015
Iona College Art Gallery, New Rochelle, "Scene and Unseen" March, 2014
Galerie Protege, "Look Sharp: Art and Fashion from the Edge," New York, 2012
Lobby Gallery, "9x9x3 Revisited," New York 2012
Arsenal Arts Center, "Biomorphia," Watertown MA, 2011
San Francisco Museum of Folk Art and Craft, 2008
Godwin-Ternbach Museum, "The Fabric of Cultures," New York 2006
Wayne Arts Center, "CraftForms 2006," Wayne, Pennsylvania 2006
Silvermine Guild, "Crafts USA," New Canaan, Connecticut 2002 & 2005
Godwin-Ternbach Museum, "Music and the Visual Arts," New York 2005
Denise Bibro Gallery, "Form and Function 3," New York, NY 2003 to 2004
Textile Center of Minnesota, "Artwear in Motion," Minneapolis, Minnesota 2003
DeCordova Museum, "Wearables 2002," Lincoln, Massachusetts 2002
St. Louis Artist's Guild, "In Your Face: Portraits," St. Louis, Missouri 2001
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, "Fiber Celebrated 2001," Logan, Utah 2001
The Gayle Wilson Gallery, Southampton, NY 1997 to 2001
American Craft Museum, " 9x9x3" New York, NY 1998
New Art Forms Exposition, Chicago Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois 1992 to 1996
Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1991 to 1996
Palos Verdes Arts Center, Palos Verdes, California 1995
Convergence 94, Saint Paul, Minnesota 1994
The Atrium Gallery, New York, NY 1990 1992
Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colorado 1990
The New England Quilt Museum, "Breaking New Ground," Lowell, Massachusetts 1989
Courthouse Quilt Conference, Geneva, Illinois 1989
Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, "Designed to Wear," Portland, Oregon 1988
Mendecino Arts Center, "What to Wear," Mendecino, California 1987
Minneapolis Institute of Art, "Artwear '87," Minneapolis, Minnesota 1987
Prieto Gallery, Oakland, California 1986
16 Hands, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1985
Bellevue Museum, "Artwear '85 & '86," Bellevue, Washington 1985 & 1986
Cohen Gallery, Denver, Colorado 1984
Albright Knox Museum, "Art to Wear," Buffalo, NY 1984
Long Island Artists Guild, Long Island, NY 1976 & 1982
Mamaroneck Artists Guild National Exhibit, Mamaroneck, NY 7 shows 1974 to 1986

Professional Affiliations

Artists Circle Of New York
New York Society Of Women Artists
Textile Study Group of New York

Awards and Publications

Art Of Connection, by Andra Stanton Published by Schiffer, 2020
Proof Magazine, "Finding Meaning Under A Stone", Artist Interview by Kayla Brand, pages 27&28, 2016
Shuttle, Spindle, Dyepot, Photo Credit Winter 2014/15 page 6
The Fabric of Cultures: The Godwin-Ternback Museum, 2008
St. Louis Artists' Guild: Alice Hunter Memorial Prize 2001
Fiberarts Reviews November-December 1990
Mamaroneck Artists' Guild Award 1986
Fiberarts Reviews May-June 1986
The New York Times April 21, 1985
Mamaroneck Artists' Guild Craft Award 1984
Long Island Craftsmen's Guild Award 1976

Education

Master of Fine Arts, Queens College
Master of Science in Education, Queens College
Bachelor of Arts, Queens College
Studies in sculpture and batik painting, New School University