Finding Aid Report Bernard Brenner Sculpture Collection ABSTRACT MS 48 Personal Papers This collection is comprised of 73 sculptures created by Bernard Brenner, plus Mr. Brenner's paper archives. These include photographs of many of Mr. Brenner's sculptures besides those given to WPI, sketchbooks, drawings and paintings, computer-generated art, and news articles and publications about Mr. Brenner's work. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Bernard Brenner was born in Philadelphia in 1927. After serving in the Army Air Force, he graduated from Dakota Wesleyan. After graduation, Brenner began painting and sculpting full-time. Later he attended graduate school at Temple University, where he studied clinical psychology. He worked for over 10 years as a clinical psychologist for the Devereaux Foundation, a school for children with mental disabilities, and during this time conducted studies on the use of art in therapy. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania and at Drexel University as a professor of the humanities. Bernard Brenner died in Pennsylvania in 2004. Most of Bernard Brenner's sculpture is in cast bronze or forged steel, and was created from the 1950s to the 1990s. His pieces are abstract and expressionistic. He completed more than two dozen public commissions, exhibited in over a hundred group shows and had more than 20 one-man shows. Brenner collaborated with other artists, including long working relationships with J. Fuhrman and Greg Leavitt. SCOPE AND CONTENT The materials in this collection span the years 1950-2004. Most of t he sculptures given to WPI were created in the 1990s, of forged steel. The bulk of the paper collection, including photographs, news clippings and most of the drawings and paintings, is from the 1950s and 1960s. The collection includes 73 pieces of sculpture by Bernard Brenner. These pieces are listed at the end of this finding aid. The rest of the collection is made up of biographical materials, primarily about Mr. Brenner's work, including news clippings and exhibit catalogs; art work using paints, pastels, charcoal and pencil, ranging from the 1950s-2000s; photographs, negatives and slides, mainly of Brenner's sculptures; and computer-generated art, both black and white and color, most of which was created in the 1980s. Note on condition of materials: Some preservation work needs to be done in the future, particularly with the photographs. Also, there has been no attempt to catalog photographs, slides and negatives by specific subjects. For this reason, some boxes have only a general description and not a folder list. Any notes with materials were probably made by Mr. Brenner's daughter, Rebecca. Materials are in document cases unless otherwise noted. None Page 1
Descriptive Materials - Bernard Brenner's Life and Work 05 4" high "Warrior" MS 48_001 Sculpture 06 8" high x 8" wide "Temple Gate" Series I - Biographical Materials MS 48_01 Sculpture Box 01 Folder 01 1977-2004 Resume, Biography, Education, List of Shows and Commissions, Remembrance, Obituary Box 01 Folder 02 1977-2004 Resume, Biography, Education, List of Shows and Commissions, Remembrance, Obituary Box 01 Folder 03 Box 01 Folder 04 Box 01 Folder 05 2003 Book: Inhabitants of the Unconcious includes interview with Brenner and Brenner Sculpture on cover 1974-1979 Work with J. Fuhrman Outside sculpture, slides 1990-1999 Collaboration with Greg Leavitt includes photographs Box 01 Folder 06 n.d. Video Interview [VHS] Interview with Bernard Brenner and Greg Leavitt Box 01 Folder 07 1950s-1990s Photographs of Bernard Brenner Series II - History, News Clippings, Notes of Exhibitions MS 48_02 Box 02 Folder 01 1950-1954 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Personal Papers Box 02 Folder 02 1955 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 03 1956 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 04 1957 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Page 2
Box 02 Folder 05 1958 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 06 1959 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 07 1960 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 08 1961 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 09 1962 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 02 Folder 10 1963 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 01 1964 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 02 1965 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 03 1966 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 04 1967 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 05 1968 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 06 1969 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 07 1970 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 03 Folder 08 1971 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 01 1972 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 02 1973 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 03 1974 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 04 1975 & 1976 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 05 1979 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Box 04 Folder 06 1982 & 1985 History, clippings, notes of exhibitions Series III - Photographs, slides and negatives of sculptures MS 48_04 Photographs Box 05 record box Photographic prints of sculptures Thsi box contains folders wuith photographic prints of sculptures. Many are 8"X10," some are 5"X7," 4"X6," and 3 1/2." The first folder contains 3 photographs of "Weights and Shapes," now owned by WPI and the title of WPI's 2008 Brenner sculpture exhibit. Box 06 Box 07 Photographic prints of sculptures Phorographs (1 folder) and slides (6 folders with slides in organizer pages) Photocopies of Photographs Photocopes of Photographs (1 folder) 8 folders of negatives. Some envelopes said: Malvern, Shady Banks, and Makler Gallery Show Page 3
Series IV - Large Art Work - Drawings, paintings, computer-generated art MS 48_05 Personal Papers Box 08 2 1/2" document case 2 charcoal/pastel drawings in mates (1 folder) Computer- generated art (4 folders) Box 09 11 3/4" X 15 1/4" 1980s-2003 Sketch pads, with drawings Series V - Large photographs and art work Box 10 11 3/4" X 17 3/4 drop-front box MS 48_06 Photographs of scultpures by J. Fuhrman and Bernard Brenner (1 folder) Photographs of sculptures (3 folders) Paintings and drawings (1 folder) Computer-generated art (1 folder) Photographs Box 11 20" X 24" drop-front box, stored with large drop-front boxes Photographs of candelabras mounted on mat board (1 folder 20" X 24") Paintings and Drawings (3 folders, 16" X 20") Computer-generated art (1 folder, 16" X 20") Series VI - Slides, disks and CD Box 12 - Record Box MS 48_07 5 carousels with slides, in carousel boxes Slides Box 13 - Record Box 2 carousels with slides, in carousel boxes Slides in slide boxes 4 computer disks CD of culpture photos, candid shots taken at Brenner home, early 2000s, Bernard Brenner and his partner Noel Maley Notes: Slides in Boxes 12 & 13 should be removes from caoulsels and slide boxes and places in slide sleeves Page 4
Series VII - Sculptures by Bernard Brenner Sculpture 01-04 1964? Fallen Comrades, 11 small pieces MS 48_08 Sculpture This group of 11 small pieces was created after the assassination of John F. Kennedy Sculpture 05 Sculpture 06 Sculpture 07 Sculpture 08 Sculpture 09 Sculpture 10 4" high 8" high x 8" wide 8" high with base 10" high with base, green finish 12" high x 11" long, green finish 14" high x 8" long Warrior Temple Gate Demon Standing Figure Protector Madonna and Child Sculpture 11 Sculpture 12 1997 Lantern Keeper 13x5x3 1997 Captain of the Watch 14x5x4 Sculpture 13 Sculpture 14 16" tall with base 15" tall Page 5 Tribal Blacksmith Family of Strangers
Sculpture 15 17" tall Armed Watcher Sculpture 16 Sculpture 17 1994 Noel's Monument 13x7x3 1994 Sentry 17" tall Sculpture 18 Sculpture 19 Sculpture 20 17" tall 18" tall 20"h x 16"w Sentry Atonality Dervish Sculpture 21 1995 Man on the Town 18x4x3 Sculpture 22 16" tall and 13" long Stand Fast Sculpture 23 Sculpture 24 Plaster-like material Piece made from mold yello 14" tall 13x26x4 Rama 1996 Renegade Flight Sculpture 25 Sculpture 26 Sculpture 27 21" long x 13" high w/base 19" high 20" high Fallen Warrior Dance Stalwart Page 6
Sculpture 28 Sculpture 29 Sculpture 30 19" high 17" high 20" high Shaman Laughing Invincible Vader Sculpture 31 Sculpture 32 Sculpture 33 Sculpture 34 1960's Emissary 1 Welded copper over armature 17" high 1960's Emissary 2 Welded copper over armature 22" high with base Dancer Plaster/gypsum cast wall hanging 19x9 1997 Senital Returns 12" high x 14" wide Page 7