Educated in the great movements of modern art,
Brown acknowledges the importance of certain mileposts in twentieth
century sculpture: the abstract work of David Smith and Henry
Moore, and especially the ancient Oriental esthetic of Isamu Noguchi.
Above and beyond the essential grammar of these influences, however,
his ideas are expressed by means of his own extensive language
of form.
Alexander Brown’s sculptures exert a quiet
but commanding presence that draws equally from East and West. "Twentieth
century abstract sculpture has given us an exposure to a mix of
elements that we never had before," he says. "The Japanese
concept of shibui, for instance, is a language few artists have
discovered or used, although it belongs to all of us." A
close look at Brown’s work reveals the influence of the
shibui esthetic, which combines sumptuous detail with simplicity,
luxury with understatement, and delicate pattern with the patina
of centuries.
Alexander Brown’s work is based on the
language of elementals - circle and square, rectangle and disc,
intersecting arcs and organic symmetry. Brown incorporates ancient
Eastern influences with the intelligence of contemporary Western
art. The result is a long series of perfectly balanced meditations
in steel and stone.
While good work speaks for itself, the work is a conjunction
of prayer, thought, intuition, and perserverance.
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