After graduation I began working for NYC based artist Ursula von Rydingsvard as Head of Studio (Studio Manager) from 2005 to November 2008. During that time I lead over 16 large scale projects including an installation of 4 major pieces in the Madison Square Park, as well as installations at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, installation of a expansive solo show at Galerie Lelong and an installation in the historic American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York. My responsibilities as Head of Studio included overseeing 4-10 assistant artists, procuring materials, streamlining production processes and leading technical design, construction and installation of the sculptures.
"Braden is an extraordinary problem solver. He loves working with materials and has an especially acute awareness of their properties, both how much that material can give, and its limitations. He has invented new ways of gluing our cedar together (which is a substantial portion of what we do in building and realizing my artwork.) Seeing the need for innovation, he invented many new tools that make the process of building a sculpture more precise and efficient. Braden’s interpersonal skills are exceptional. He has the confidence to be decisive when clear decisions need to be made, and also the intelligence to seriously consider differing opinions. There is not only a confidence, but a wisdom with which he directs groups of people, whether the people he knows intimately as those in my studio, or the staff in museums during installations."
--Ursula von Rydingsvard (excerpt from letter of recommendation)
Cedar Sculpture
Images of the construction process of building and installing Ursula’s monumental scale cedar sculpture.
Resin Sculpture
In collaboration with Walla Walla Foundry, UVR studio created two pieces from Smooth-On polyurethane resin. The first, Damski Czepek, is a 5,000 lb, 7 piece casting of a 10' diameter "bonnet" that was first installed in Madison Square Park in 2005. The second, Luna, is a 500 lb, 6' tall single pour casting that we cast in a large pressure tank to eliminate air bubbles. I installed Luna in a country home in West Sussex, UK in 2007.