Edward M. Brownlee
Edward Malcolm Brownlee is an American sculptor who is known for his modernist architectural creations. "Mick" Brownlee was born in Portland, Oregon, on April 23, 1929, and grew up there on the west side in a dilapidated neighborhood where he found many remnants of building materials lying about and began making constructions from them. He joined the Army after three years of high school and was stationed overseas in occupied Japan working as a topographer. Brownlee received his formal education at Oregon State University and at the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1954, he became the first recipient of a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Hawaii. The Hawaii chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized Brownlee with a special award for “outstanding contributions of art to architecture”. He currently maintains a studio on the Oregon Coast and works in carved stone and cast bronze.
Brownlee’s monumental sculptures may be found in Alaska, Oregon, British Columbia, Fiji, and Hawaii. In Honolulu, Hawaii, they are located at the Ala Moana Center, the Honolulu International Airport, River Street Mall, the library of Punahou School, and Orvis Auditorium at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The 19 foot cast stone sculpture T'sung is typical of his outdoor sculptures. The Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaii State Art Museum are among the public collections holding work by Edward M. Brownlee.
References
- Haar, Francis and Neogy, Prithwish, "Artists of Hawaii: Nineteen Painters and Sculptors", University of Hawaii Press, 1974, 26-33.
- Radford, Georgia and Warren Radford, "Sculpture in the Sun, Hawaii's Art for Open Spaces", University of Hawaii Press, 1978, 92.
- Yoshihara, Lisa A., Collective Visions, 1967-1997, Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1997, 140-141.