Bradley Arthur

Sculptor

Born in Tampa, Florida, and raised in Miami Beach, Bradley Arthur’s career as a sculptor began in 1970 at the age of 17. At that time, he became an apprentice for his instructor and metal sculptor Hugh Dumont at the Coconut Grove School of Art. His earliest work reflects the beginning of his longstanding use of already existing materials as his primary medium. This preference is fueled by his respect for the inherent processes of nature. Transforming and recontextualizing our societal stuff, whether it's information, language, or material objects, gives the artist an unending source of challenge and expression. After graduating with a degree in Fine Art from the University of South Florida (1975), he worked and traveled in the US and Europe. He continued his education with additional apprenticeships with metal, bronze, and marble sculptors in France, Italy, and New York City. After he attended the Lacoste School of the Arts (1978) in Provence, France, Arthur apprenticed for the Japanese Master stone carver Yasuo Mizui in Paris and Nancy, France. In January 1978, Arthur had his first NYC exhibition. In the late 70's and early 80's, he worked in various stone and bronze studios in Pietrasanta, Italy. He maintained a studio in a historical landmark building in Tribeca (8Thomas Street) in lower Manhattan from 1978 to 1997. His award-winning artwork has been exhibited in over a dozen solo shows and more than 150 group exhibitions, including at the Grand Palais in Paris and numerous exhibitions in New York City including at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, Phillips de Pury & Company in Chelsea and Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in Soho.

He worked closely with the renowned Art Law attorney (from the Marc Rothko case) Gustave Harrow, then the director for the Center for the Arts at New York Law School. Arthur became a frequent guest lecturer for his Art/Law class and did extensive paralegal work with Harrow regarding Artists' Rights & the NY Visual Artists Rights Act. In early 1984, Harrow represented Arthur when his bronze sculpture "Olympic Experience" was used and misappropriated by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) as their logo for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Later that year, Richard Serra hired Harrow to represent him in the infamous ‘Tilted Arc” case. Arthur assisted Harrow and Serra on the case and was among the 122 people testifying in the United States Court of International Trade in favor of keeping the piece. These two cases are some of the first Visual Artists Rights Act of 1984 cases filed in the Manhattan Federal Court. His interest in focusing on text-based sculptures and "words as objects" was fueled by his experiences during this time.

He has lectured on Artists' Authorship Rights, copyrights, and the VARA/1990 Act. He has been awarded both private and public art commissions for his large outdoor sculptures. His 2001 Public Art commission from Hillsborough County, "Components of Public Safety I & II" was made from recycled guns and weapons collected from a multi-county gun buyback program to produce two original multi- ton sculptures. The larger work titled "COPS I" is situated in front of the Sheriff's Operations Center in Ybor City. The other sculpture he dedicated to those who've lost loved ones during public service, "COPS II" and is located on Gunn Highway in Citrus Park. The purchase order from the County for these works to transform weapons is dated 9-11-01.

He designed and created the Kol Ami Star Memorial and meditation garden, situated in front of Congregation Kol Ami in Tampa. Arthur's sculptures are in private and public collections here and abroad. His early large works are listed in the Smithsonian Institution’s inventory of American Painting and Sculpture.

A number of his smaller sculptures, including three (3) of his early text-based works, were purchased by the renowned collector Richard Brown Baker and are now part of the collection of Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.