Works by two Brooklyn-based sculptors – Wendy Klemperer and Steven Brower – are on display at the Burns Art Atrium in the Visual Fine Arts Building Jan. 28- March 7.
Klemperer’s sculptures are raw steel armatures that take horses, wolves and dogs as their subject matter, using the immediate energy and power of those natural forms to explore internal states.
“The sculptures are not ultimately about animals as anecdotes or records of an actual creature; they use the body language of animals to express an emotional state,” Klemperer notes.
A native of Boston, Klemperer received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Harvard University before deciding to pursue art full time. She moved to New York City in 1980 and studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, receiving her B.F.A. in sculpture in 1983. In the early 1990s, she began welding and soon was concentrating on larger, outdoor sculpture, often collecting raw material from scrap yards and construction sites. She has exhibited her work throughout the United States.
Brower’s work reflects on the process of making art and shows an interest in de-coding that practice. He remarks: “… one of my biggest concerns is with the act of making things, and making things myself, as a product of curiosity in, research of, and experimentation with, the world around me. As a result, I’ve made lots of things: models, machines, furniture, shoes, houses, tools, food, books, as well as all that ‘traditional’ artwork.”
Born in Washington, D.C., Brower came to New York in 1987. His work has been exhibited at Art Omi in Ghent, N.Y.; in New York City and Long Island galleries; at Williams, Bard and other colleges; and in Europe, Canada and New Zealand. He holds a BFA from Pratt (1991). He has lectured widely and curated numerous shows.
Klemperer and Brower will talk about their work Thursday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow at 4:30 in the Arts Atrium.