William Brayton, professor of art, received his B.A. in studio art from the University of New Hampshire and an M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University.
In addition to founding the sculpture program at Hampshire in 1988, he has taught visual art at the University of New Hampshire, and the Chautauqua School of Art, and been a visiting artist at Dartmouth College, Skidmore College, Penn State University, Amherst College, Rhode Island College, Claremont Graduate University, Colby Sawyer College, Marlboro College, and Marywood University.
He has been awarded curriculum development grants from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The Mellon Foundation.
Professor Brayton's art is frequently on exhibit nationally. He has produced site-specific installations and public art at such venues as the Barrows Rotunda Gallery at Dartmouth College, The Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the Art Lot, also in Brooklyn. Curators and critics including Linda Shearer, Charlotta Kotik, Lisa Phillips, Donald Kuspit, and Carter Ratcliff have selected his work for exhibitions at such spaces as The Chesterwood Museum, The Berkshire Museum, and The Hudson River Museum.
Reviews and photos of his sculpture and drawings have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, and Art New England. He has been awarded grants in support of his work from the Pollock Krasner Foundation and the Howard Foundation.
Professor Brayton's current sculpture, drawings, and installations examine Biomorphic Abstraction and Post Minimalism in relation to contemporary issues in visual art.
Current related research interests include Polynesian nautical stick charts, wind patterns, complexity theory, and invasive plants.
Contemporary ideas in sculpture will be introduced in relation to work in a range of media including clay, wood, plastic, steel, concrete, and found materials. This course provides training for all equipment in the Art Barn Sculpture Studio. Student generated imagery will foster discussions around representation, abstraction, the body, technology, public art, site specific art, and installation art. Readings, slide lectures, and group critiques will inform the development of independent work in three dimensions. The course culminates with a lengthy independent project.
In this advanced course students will explore the development of an independent drawing series in response to issues in abstract art. Through the completion of ten drawings a week, students will produce a large, personal and informed portfolio of abstract imagery. Readings, slide lectures, group critiques and a field trip to an area museum will provide a context for independent work. One session each week will be devoted to the production and discussion of the independent project. The second session will provide technical and conceptual tools for exploring media, information, systems, color, and other means of generating abstract imagery. Given the fluid line between abstraction and representation, a wide range of subject matter will be explored. Prerequisite: at least one college level drawing course.
This course provides initial preparation for work in drawing and other areas of the visual arts. Students will develop their ability to perceive and construct visual images and forms across a range of subject matter. Projects address both the two-dimensional picture plane and three-dimensional space from a broad array of observed and imagined sources. A wide variety of media will be used to explore the body, found and imagined objects, collage, and structures in the natural and built environment. Visual presentations and group critiques will provide students with historical and conceptual contexts for the development their own work. This course satisfies Division I distribution requirements and prepares students to complete independent work.
This course will provide advanced preparation for independent work in sculpture at the Division III level. Students will develop an independent body of work through assignments that increase in complexity and depth. The course culminates with a long independent project that proceeds from a written proposal. Students will work with steel, fabric, wood, concrete, plaster, found objects and other materials in the production of sculptural objects, installations and environments. Artists and movements that have shaped the contemporary dialogue in sculpture will be explored through slide lectures and independent research. A $60 lab fee will cover assignment based materials, but students may be required to obtain additional materials for the independent project from local sources. Prerequisite: at least one college-level sculpture course, preferably taken at Hampshire College.
This course will integrate advanced level drawing assignments with two student defined half semester long independent projects. Readings, slide talks, field trips to nearby drawing sites, and independent research will provide a context for the development of two cohesive bodies of independent work. Drawing as a visual practice will be defined broadly to allow for the exploration of forms and imagery across multiple genres, media and dimensions. Group critiques will provide a critical environment and offer a forum for the discussion of contemporary issues in drawing. Prerequisite: At least two drawing courses at the college level. Additional studio art and art history courses highly desirable.
This tutorial provides initial preparation for work in drawing and other areas of the visual arts. Students will develop their ability to perceive and construct visual images and forms across a range of subject matter. Projects address both the two-dimensional picture plane and three-dimensional space from a broad array of observed and imagined sources. A wide variety of media will be used to explore the body, found and imagined objects, collage, and structures in the natural and built environment. Visual presentations and group critiques will provide students with historical and conceptual contexts for the development their own work. This course satisfies Division I distribution requirements and prepares students to complete independent work.
Contact Us
William Brayton
Professor of Art
Mail Code IA
Arts Barn STU
Hampshire College
893 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
