Austen Brantley’s Anachronistic Future

Austen Brantley. Photo: Leonidas Caldwell

By CARLOTA GAMBOA December 21, 2024

The Detroit-based artist Austen Brantley is someone whose pieces work to change a viewer’s perception of sculpture as a medium. In his work, Brantley seeks to encapsulate a dynamic fusion between the past and the future, between a Greek cannon and African American culture. With each new work entrusted to him, Brantley’s creations seek to embody harmony. He hopes that his sculpted narratives catch a viewer’s eye, and create cohesive and holistic stories that expand as one moves closer to the pieces.

During my conversation with Brantley, he tells me about a larger work of his that depicts the first five students to desegregate for East Tennessee State University’s campus. He expresses the unique challenge presented in the commission: “I had to find models that looked like each student. It’s very cool because one gets to reimagine what it would’ve been like back then, and it’s interesting to design the figures and give them personalized characteristics. I was really excited that there were five of them, and that I got to figure out how to tell the story. What it will look like from far back, how to draw someone in, and the symbols and small details-– like books or being late to class— that I have to figure out how to include.”

Pygmalion’s Heart, 2024 Ceramic with bronze oxide coating on granite base 19 x 12 x 12inches

Brantley’s work has been impacted by a large breadth of history, and it can be seen throughout his artistic choices. From the Harlem Renaissance to the 60s Detroit underground art scene to classic sculpture—he is drawn toward work that radiates truth and honesty. “Most cannonic art was about following the rules, so when artists do break out of who they have to be and be truthful to themselves, it’s a very courageous act. It helps humanity evolve.” He also mentions how he was influenced by the African masks his parents had decorating their home. “I’m mostly drawn to human figures and contemporary human form. How the different expressions present themselves as human symbols. I really appreciate my parents for having African masks around the house, and having the chance to grow up seeing where black people came from and have that as their art history. I had the chance to explore what it means to me.”  

In another public piece Brantley completed, he was able to hone in on certain African traditions to honor the first black person to have property in Royal Oak, Michigan. The Elizabeth Hamer Monument is a bust that stands to portray her as a queen mother, taken from tribe traditions. “So many people wouldn’t have been born without her,” he says, “she gave so many people life, and I wanted to create something that if she could see, it showed her to be a hero.” Elizabeth and her husband were able to find residence in Royal Oak in 1860 after fleeing a Kentucky plantation via the underground railroad. According to Brantley, it’s important for public works to “not only honor the past, but to honor the future.” 

Queen Mother, bronze, commission for City of Royal Oak

It was recently announced that the City of Detroit has also chosen Brantley to create a public sculpture honoring Joe Louis and his life “outside the ring,” set to debut in August 2025. 

Despite being a primarily self-taught artist, Brantley is someone who is constantly striving to learn, grow, and adapt. From the start of his sculpting practice in high school, Brantley moved on to take private lessons, attend art fairs, and travel around the world with the specific intention of progressing his craft. “It’s crucial for me to say how I really feel and make pieces that kind of disturb people. I most admire those who use their art to tell the truth and make things that push humanity forward. It’s not just to make money, but about moving the actual narrative of art forward.” 

Because so many of Brantley’s pieces reside in public spaces, we also speak about the inherent difference between what it means to see art in a white cube versus the outside world. “The biggest difference is the audience,” Brantley says, “public monuments get seen by everybody, while the gallery is intimate and private. It’s the difference between something being permanent against a more ephemeral object. The public medium is more installation heavy and needs a bit more foresight.” However, Brantley tries to think with both minds and imagine how a sculpture might translate from one space to another. 

Power in the Struggle, bronze and granite base, approximately 11 x 6 x 6 ft, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, Montgomery, AL

All in all, Austen Brantley hopes his work is healing, but also leaves people awestruck in terms of the nature of humanity. They are about teaching us a lesson so as to not make the same mistakes, and not glaze over the real tragedy present in the world. His sculpture displayed at Freedom Monument Park depicts the power present in the struggle. It’s a surrealist sculpture that feels like an enlarged piece fit for a small gallery. Though it seems natural in its installed space, it still holds an intimate feel. Playing with symbology, it features two black male figures, almost nude, holding up a fist. “It’s like how it feels to be a black person in America,” Brantley says, “holding up all this history, and living for those people that didn’t have a chance to.” WM

To learn more about Austen Brantley, please visit his website and follow on Instagram: @austenbrantley