David Brothers

Last updated

David Brothers
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Artist
  • filmmaker
Style Installation art
Website davidbrothers.net

David Brothers is an American multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker. He is notable for his art installations and co-direction of the avant-garde film It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007). His work frequently examines the line between the artificial and the authentic, exploring surreal, fantastical, and dystopian themes. [1] Brothers' photography has appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone [ citation needed ], Maxim [ citation needed ], Popsmear, SLUG , Dear Dave, and Stuff magazines. [2]

Contents

Career

Artistic Career

Brothers began producing, writing, and acting in radio dramas, with notable projects including The Church of Jayne Mansfield and The New Atomic Age. [2] He wrote, illustrated, and published a variety of works, including comic books, pamphlets, religious tracts, trading cards, and Tijuana bibles, displaying an interest in unconventional storytelling and use of multiple media. [3]

By day, Brothers worked as a film industry set designer, constructing immersive and believable spaces. [4] His professional experience constructing sets informs his artwork, where he builds and photographs sets in his studio, creating images that blur the boundary between artifice and reality. [5] A recurring theme in Brothers' artwork is the exploration of constructed environments. [3] [6] His sets invite viewers to question the distinction between the artificial and the authentic. [4] [7]

Filmmaking Career

Brothers has created both animated and live-action films, with three of his works featured at the Sundance Film Festival. Brothers co-directed the feature film It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007) with Crispin Glover. [8] The project is the second film in Glover’s It trilogy. [9] An intensely personal and surreal film, written by and starring Steven C. Stewart, that examines themes of disability, sexuality, and psychological complexity. [10] Critics have praised the film for its audacity and originality, with Time Out calling it “profoundly uncomfortable and eerily poetic.” [11] The New York Times noted the film's unique vision, blending stark realism with surreal imagery to challenge societal preconceptions. [12]

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References

  1. Kubarycz, Brian (February 4, 2016). "Sisyphean Art: David Brothers' Rolithica". SLUG Magazine . Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  2. 1 2 George, Daniel (January 9, 2020). "David Brothers: What A Show Show". Lenscratch. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  3. 1 2 15 Bytes (July 13, 2016). "Degrees of Authenticity: David Brothers' Places and Propositions". 15 Bytes. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 Corrigan, Lizz (February 28, 2019). "David Brothers: The What-A-Show Show". SLUG Magazine . Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  5. "David Brothers: Rolithica". Utah Museum of Contemporary Art . Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  6. "Utah Museum of Contemporary Art tackles politics, immigration in new exhibits". Deseret News. February 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  7. Ortega, Alexander (May 25, 2023). "Work in Progress with David Brothers". Southwest Contemporary. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  8. Gray, Richard (July 12, 2012). "Interview: Crispin Glover". The Reel Bits. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  9. Jordan, Emily (June 2, 2017). "What exactly is it? Crispin Glover's surreal, cinematic vision of the big, bad world". Salon . Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  10. Griggs, Brandon (February 18, 2005). "Glover's 'What Is It?' aptly describes film". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on February 18, 2005. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  11. "Review: It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine". Time Out . November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  12. Kern, Laura (November 21, 2007). "Fantasies Without Bounds for a Lothario With Limits". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.