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by Bradford Graves (Author), Verna Gillis (Curated by)
Bradford Graves' Mythology of Stone reveals his profound relationship to his primary material.
"The making of sculpture may be taken as a desire for wholeness: The recognition of one's identity as part of the earth and its materials. In the confrontation of one's inner image with physical materials, a dialogue begins and the result is a sculptural statement. ... The process is analogous to crystallization. First there is the idea, the basis of an internal ordering of structure, expanded or split into different units. From this, the resulting segmentation of a conceptual idea through physical units hints at the crystallization. They become like stars in the night sky, each defined by its own space, but perceived together they make up the fabric of a universe." -Bradford GravesAuthor Biography
Bradford Graves was born in Wheatland, Texas in 1939, and moved to New York City in 1958, where he studied at the School of Visual Arts, the American School of Visual Arts, and The New School, and worked as an assistant to the sculptor Alfred Van Loen, as well as for the NYC Parks Department and the Museum of Modern Art. He earned his BA and MA from Goddard College, and taught at Parsons School of Design and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Graves traveled extensively in Greece, Israel, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Iran, Afghanistan, Scotland, Senegal, Egypt, and Japan. In 1980, he was awarded an Artist's Fellowship in sculpture by the National Endowment for the Arts and created his Crossing the Plains sculpture for a rest area in Lincoln, Nebraska. and a Commission from the NYS Council on the Arts to create the first public sculpture on the NYS Thruway, at Schroon Lake. His work has been exhibited in both the United States and abroad. The Bradford Graves Sculpture Garden in Kerhonkson, NY is a major repository of his work. He played saxophone in a band called Vortex, which was voted One of the Best New Bands by CODA Magazine in 1982, and helped launch SOUNDSCAPE with his wife, Verna Gillis, and frequently collaborated with the poets John Taggart and Michael Heller. Bradford Graves died in New York City in 1998.
Verna Gillis was Brad's wife/partner for 34 years. After his death at the age of 58 she became his archivist. His work was what remained and gave her enormous solace.Together she and Brad traveled and recorded music which was released on Folkways Smithsonian Records. Verna had an active career as a music producer/manager. Since 2012 she has been writing and performing. Her one older woman's Tales From Geriassic Park - On the Verge of Extinction won Best Comedic Script at the United Solo Theatre Festival in 2014. Her niche is aging. And so is she!
