Bill Brookover

Artist Statement

I use pattern and geometry to express the tension between chaos and harmony in modern life. My work is a response to the unsettling times we live in. Even before the COVID-19 global pandemic, we have been living in a world of constantly accelerating change brought on by the rise of digital technology, globalized economies, & climate change. In this work I try to express this tension through visual metaphors for dissonance & harmony, mirroring and reflection. My larger art practice is grounded in my training in architecture and design, which are the inspiration for my printmaking. I learned early on that for me, creativity thrives within set boundaries, so I set rules for myself: a pattern, a color palette, a strategy for action. As I explore, I look for as many variations/combinations as possible. I’m interested in pushing the boundaries of my rules, looking for unexpected juxtapositions, playfulness, and variety within the system I’ve set in motion. I use geometry as a generator of form using the ideas of multiples and repetition inherent in printmaking to explore the idea of creativity through variety, diversity, options, possibility & surprise.
I trained as an architect. My career developed in a different direction, to 30 years of working on historic buildings of the highest significance with the National Park Service historic preservation programs. Those years taught me the importance of places and artifacts in the story of human culture. The ability to form a mental image, or to set in motion a process, and then to create something, whether in ceramics, textile, building, or a work on paper, is a fundamental human trait that I treasure. I bring this reverence for human creativity to my work in the studio and the classroom.