Artists of all mediums know that a work of art does not always emerge from a constant flow of ideas. For Conway artist Bill Brayton, it took nearly 20 years and unprecedented storm conditions for a project to finally come to light.
Brayton, a 1976 graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School, reconnected with his alma mater in October to exhibit “Torrent,” an extension of an 18-year-old aquatic-themed sculpture project rejuvenated by the devastating floods in Conway in July. The wall-mounted wooden pieces, combined with abstract drawings that reflect the curvature of the sculptures, are a tribute to "the force of water," according to a statement from Maureen Turner, associate director of marketing and communications at NMH. The gallery is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, as well as Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm, until November 17.
“Torrent” expands on the sculptural methods Brayton first employed when creating “Rogue Wave,” a work he completed in 2005 that features curved wood pieces and a welded wire sphere. He explained that inspiration hit him when Conway was flooded with almost 21 inches of rain in July. The devastating rains caused not only an estimated $3.9 million in damage, but Brayton's son was trapped on his way home due to a sewer overflow.
"It was kind of a visceral experience of the power of nature, climate change and water and how it was affecting us in our small town," he said.
The new project “comprises sculptures and drawings and is based on his fascination with rogue waves, a phenomenon that until recent decades was thought to be the stuff of folklore,” Turner wrote.
"Although they remain a mystery, scientists now recognize that rogue waves are waves that are more than twice the size of surrounding waves, and that often arrive unexpectedly from directions opposite to the prevailing wind and waves," he continued.
The “Torrent” sculptures are composed of woods of “different ages, colors, textures, grain patterns, surfaces and histories,” Brayton wrote in an artist statement. He later explained that he gets his lumber from a wide variety of places, from a friend's “lumber museum” and the Roberts Brothers Lumber Company in Ashfield, to trees that had fallen on his property and sentimental structures, like an old house. and an old house. boat he had been renovating.
“Within some self-imposed limits, pieces made of wood, aluminum, bronze, concrete, and plastic are added, cut, repositioned, or abandoned,” Brayton wrote in the artist’s statement. “As a sculpture comes together, fortuitous opportunities collide with memories of previous decisions. Gravity affects perceived mass and balance. The altered patterns may involve movement. Where the parts intersect; Screws, rivets, bolts and welds create connections in different ways.”
Brayton said he embraces abstraction in part because he doesn't necessarily set out to tell a specific story or respond directly to world events. He admitted, however, that "it's pretty hard not to do that."
"I'm really trying to find an emotional response to my work," he said. "That's really the most important thing for me, trying to feel something in my gut."
Gallery director Jamie Rourke, a Brayton alumnus, praised the “calm sense of balance, movement and fluidity” the sculptor’s project achieves.
"I think there's a really beautiful sensitivity to his materials that seems very Zen to me," he said.
Rourke said a large crowd of NMH staff and students, as well as about a dozen other local artists, attended the exhibition reception the evening of Oct. 20. Brayton, whose work has appeared in Sculpture Magazine, Art New England, The Seattle Times, The Boston Globe, and exhibited in galleries and universities across the country, said showing his art at NMH is a “coming full circle moment.” ”. Rourke said Brayton's juxtaposition of drawing and sculpture has been particularly valuable to his students as they explore the relationship between the two mediums.
"Bill's creative and educational work continues to be inspiring," Rourke contributed to Turner's statement. "I was fortunate to be taught by him decades ago, and his encouragement and support changed the trajectory of my creative life... It has been special for me to reconnect with Bill through this exhibition."
Contact Julián Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.
