Activate: Market Street 7
Brian Gustafson
September 5th – October 3rd
@ 75 and 77 Market Street
Gustafson’s work is conceptually driven by questions about empathy and a desire to connect to others through acts of making and sculpture. Art is a social activity; therefore he sees the role of an artist as a choice in how one engages others in dialogue. As an artist, Brian is invested in exploring the dynamics of ‘empathy’ and how we facilitate a human connection in the things we make. He advocates for the need to communicate about our capacity to be in constant consideration of each other. Gustafson believes this conversation can help lead to more compassionate and humane interaction between peoples. The work he’s created for Activate: Market Street is about acts of desperation. It is a metaphor about seeking a respite from psychological pain and darkness. It is about praying for rainbows in the dark. It is about a quixotic endeavor to make connections to others through an act of beauty.
Brian Gustafson is an artist living and working in the NY metro area. He enjoys the activity of making objects and fabricates works that he refers to as devices that heighten human experience and sensitize viewers to the experience of empathy. He often utilizes simple natural phenomena such as wind, water, and light. His work consists of interactive and kinetic devices as well as sculpture.
Brian Gustafson received his MFA from Illinois State University and his BFA from Tulane University. He has exhibited nationally and received numerous awards, including the New Jersey Council of the Arts Fellowship. He is currently an Assistant Professor in Sculpture at New Jersey City University.
activatemarketstreet.org 