II am a full time artist with a studio located in Uptown New Orleans, LA.  My life is centered on the creation of my art work and the theories that inspire it. I loosely base my work on the design principles of the "Arts and Crafts" movement founded by William Morris in the 19th Century.  I incorporate researched imagery from nature, and use traditional “crafts” as media;  however, I do not view traditional “crafts” as fine art.  Craft is technique; art is ontological.

 

I have devoted the past 20+ years to mastering the techniques required to make a living as an artist outside of academia. I will continue to use private and public architectural installations to make my artwork.  However, my long-term goal is to make a large impact within the art world as a glass printmaker and sculptor.  I plan to combine the traditions of printmaking, glass, and sculpture to make fine art.

 

Listed below is my formal artist statement, and what I feel are the eight most important elements of visual art:

 

8.  Scale ­ the size of the work in relation to the viewer.

 

7.  History ­ the artworks relationship to the past, present, and future and what ties artwork to a specific time and culture. This is symbiotic; art is a reflection of a given society, and societies are influence by art.

 

6. Color and value ­ this includes black, white, and grayscales.

 

5. Balance ­ the harmonious arrangement of proportion and design elements.

 

4.  Skill or artisanship ­ the craft of each medium.

 

3.  Mystery ­ design elements that portray or evoke the "unknown", and forces viewers to form their own conclusions.

 

2.  Theory ­ the binding or unifying concept that an artist works in, or portrays in their work.  It is the "spine" to a body of work.

 

1. Passion ­ in either the process of making artwork, and or in the feeling or emotions portrayed in it. This is the most important element. It is indefinable, ontological, yet essential to all great works of art.

 

I use these and other elements to approach my work. I have studied philosophy and art theory from Kant to Greenburg, but feel Orson Wells was correct when he said, "The absence of limitations is the biggest enemy of art."

Andy Headshot 5-2004.jpg (185709 bytes)Artist Statement:

I rely on research and imagery from nature and industry as primary influences in my work. Airplanes and hummingbirds both may fly, but each evolved separately designed to complete specific tasks. Their designs evolved because of trial and error. In industry, some planes flew, some planes crashed; in nature, some hummingbirds mated, some hummingbirds starved. Both the laws of physics and nature have created a natural and living aesthetic through natural selection. I find my relationship to my own art and my knowledge of this aesthetic guides this work that I passionately pursue. 
Andrew Brott

  
Brottworks, LLC 4721 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70151 504-239-3030 andy@brottworks.com