Brandon Briggs ~ human

On January 16th, Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will open “human” …an exhibition of fine art, from around the country, that explores the human form as well as the human condition. The exhibition includes a variety of painting, drawing, photography and sculpture.Two beautiful paintings by Brandon Briggs are included in the exhibition. His statement describing the work follows.

"My work’s primary concerns are steeped in the traditional fundamentals of figurative painting: creating the feeling of weight, mass, solidity, and character. A perfect marriage of the image and its making is the primary challenge, with the relationship between image and viewer being strengthened by a narrative implied by the scale, gaze, and vulnerability of the subjects. These works are part of a larger group of nine paintings addressing the implications of allegiance in the face of sociocultural discrimination. The paintings are an investigation of the self and its relation to the group. Groups of people who share common values function simultaneously as separate individual energies, as well as a collective group force that acknowledges its own vulnerability, yet is still empowered by commonality. The paintings serve as a physical embodiment of this phenomenon by functioning as individual works with rhythms particular to their design, while harmonizing with one another to allow a greater statement to present itself."

The Human Exhibition includes work by twenty highly-talented artists from around the country. All work will be available for purchase. Commissions from the sale of work will be donated directly to Heartland Alliance to help with their work supporting Human Rights and needs. The exhibition will run through March 1st with an opening reception scheduled for Friday, January 20th 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.

Brandon Briggs earned his BFA in Drawing and Painting from Indiana University in South Bend Indiana in 2007 and an MFA in Drawing and Painting from Bowling Green State University in 2011. Briggs’ work has recently been on view at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo Ohio, The Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart Indiana, and Thaddeus C. Gallery in Laporte Indiana. Briggs is currently a full time instructor in the School of Art at Bowling Green State University. His work is included in numerous private collections as well as the permanent collection of the Midwest Museum of American Art.

images: Kristen, 20 [left] • oil on canvas • 28” x 19” • 2011
Lindsey, 25 [right] • oil on canvas • 28” x 19” • 2011
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