Exhibition info

Two Sides is an exploration of The Branscombe Environment, an ongoing collaboration between twin brothers Greg and Blake Branscombe. They are intrigued by the similarities that appear in their respective work and how, when looking back to their origins, narratives can be drawn from shared pieces. Two Sides uses examples of the individual artists’ works, side-by-side with collaborative pieces, to illustrate these observations.

Since the inception of The Branscombe Environment, Greg and Blake Branscombe have strived to develop their combined artistic styles and approaches. Both brothers use various combinations of image transfer, serigraph, painting, drawing, collage, and encaustic techniques to express their individual ideas. Gathering much of their inspiration from the personal experiences they have shared, the environments they occupy, and the cultures and creativity that surround them, the Branscombes aim to create a unique environment for the viewer with every project.

Artist Bios

Greg Branscombe

Henry David Thoreau once wrote: “Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.” So it was to be for me, for I ended up making most of the source material for my new creative journey while working as a securities trader. For years, from classroom to office, I found it easier to create when my mind was occupied with some other analytical task, filling the margins of my pages with sketches and doodles, eventually collecting hundreds of what would one day become something more. With very little education in art, I began to research different ways in which I could express my ideas, while still capturing the essence of my original way of seeing.

From that point, my process has evolved into blowing up the original drawings—from sheets of old paper, napkins or whatever was on my desk at the time—holding onto their unique details and then incorporating different types of media that add interest and dimension to my work. After completing each piece, I often notice minute details that have carried through: old coffee stains or obscure reminders I’d left myself, be they phone numbers from the past or notes of interest I’d written down. In many ways, these source drawings act as a journal capturing the people, events and stories in my life over the years. I find solace in my family and community, and I’d like to continue strengthening both: art can bring people together and if I’m able to do that, then I am a success.

Blake Branscombe

So often, we enter spaces only to realize we have been transformed and inspired simply by the presence of art. It can direct the mood and adjust the energy of any room. Aspiring to connect people in that way, I continually try to embody that energy and project it into my work. My intention for each piece is to resonate with the viewer and bring the space to life. Encaustic paintings, drawings, oil and acrylic painting, woodworking, and screen printing; my creative spirit and medium are ever-changing as I interpret the world around me. I can best express my artistic passion when unbound by fears and unwritten rules; allowing myself the freedom of creative expression enables me to create with the end in mind. In the infamous words of George Bernard Shaw, “You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?'”