* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Brian Somerville earned a BFA from the University of Evansville and a MFA from Florida Atlantic University.
Brian explains his work by saying, “I sculpt beasts that tell stories. At first glance, these stories seem simplistic. Unique versions of well-known fables are easily identified and understood. If only given moments, my humanlike animals are entertaining and often humorous. Lurking under this first impression is a larger conceptual epic with extensive social, political and personal themes. Primarily ceramic, these themes start on a crude armature where proper anatomy is deliberately compromised for dynamic expression. Once sculpted, the figure is cut up, hollowed and reassembled. My creatures are then obsessively covered with hand carved images that add context to their adventures. The antics of my unpolished herd reflect our society in ways that are uncomfortably familiar. Remembering hard life lessons that were buried in childhood memories, re-evaluating our priorities as adults and even questioning our own mortality can all be realized through eye contact with a beast. Laugh now, cry later and enjoy the show.”
