Cade Tompkins Projects

Estate of Donna Bruton

American 1954-2012

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Donna Bruton graduated from Michigan State University in 1976 where she earned her BFA in Graphic Design.  After graduation, Donna Bruton continued her art career by studying art with her uncle, painter Edward Loper in Wilmington, Delaware.  During this time,  Bruton became aware of the collection of art in the famous Barnes Foundation located outside of Philadelphia.  The collection, founded by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 holds some of this countries seminal works by Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir and Modigliani as well as important examples of African sculpture.  Bruton continued her education and earned a MFA from Yale University in Painting in 1991.  In 1993, she joined the painting department as Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.  Donna Bruton’s work has been included in numerous one-person and group exhibitions throughout the United States as well as Canada, Japan, France and Korea.

Donna Bruton’s paintings are unique landscapes, built from the ground up. Layers and textures are added and concealed at the same moment.  The overall impression is one of transcendental images that are recognizable such as a plant form, swirls of water, or tree limbs.    The paintings are fantastical; however, they capture an element of  nature morte or “still life.”  Bruton brings her paintings to life in a mythic combination of color, form and texture in her inspiring work by way of paint and materials such as paper, stenciled lace, cotton, and glitter.

Donna Bruton’s recent works on paper express her continued interest in the surreal aspects of the visual world.  The new work consists of paintings on paper,  large-scale combinations of collage, stencil, acrylic paint and glitter.  Almost talisman-like in their demeanor, one can sense a beginning to a story or great adventure in the work.

Read Estate of Donna Bruton's full biography here