Galeria Pacifico will repeat last year's sell out show of new paintings and sculptures by Brewster Brockmann with a new exhibition featuring cocktail receptions with the artist on December 27th and January 3rd. Both of these events will be part of the Old Town Art Walks on Wednesdays from 6-10 PM. When asked if there are any special differences in his work this season, Brewster responds that he rekindled his interest in the work of Dubuffet this summer, digging out a couple of books that he hadn't looked at for years. Although, the influence is more diffused and subtle rather than any formal tribute or homage. Plus, as Brockmann points out, "It's all intermingled with my tendency to let the paintings evolve as I do them rather than do a lot of pre-planning that can actually restrict the spontaneity that is an important part of the creative process for me." However, the objects and themes that populate the new work reflect Brockmann's long term and continuing focus on the positive, whether the paintings show animals, family life or buildings. He says that he sometimes puts in a palapa house or other architectural detail when he's stuck on where the painting is headed, and that helps him to break the impasse. That is currently reinforced by the fact that he is actually building a new house for his family, which also ties in with another common theme in his work, family life. Of course this new place will only be for summer use when the local river is too high to drive across to reach his current house, which will become the winter, dry season, house. Maternity is featured in several of Brockmann's work, and he and his wife Carmen have two young daughters, and his brother who is a neighbor has a one year old son. Even one of Brewster's large female terracotta sculptures shows the signs of being several months pregnant.

Although this show will feature only a few sculptures in bronze and terra cotta, the artist actually has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the famous Cranbrook Institute in the United States, considered to be one of the best schools of ceramics in the World. As well as also being a teaching assistant while there, he has since taught special workshops for undergraduate and graduate students of Cranbrook, as well as students from the famous Rhode Island School of Design who have come to Mexico to learn Brockmann's special low fire techniques of producing terra cotta pieces from clay they dig themselves. After graduating from Cranbrook, he received a grant from the giant Koller Corporation to be in their Art in Industry program. Brewster was able to use the iron casting facilities of this leading producer of bathtubs and bathroom fixtures to produce ancient looking figures with pre-Colombian influences. Kohler actually acquired two of his pieces for their private Museum of Modern Art.

Animals and marine life will be very present in the new work, with alligators, jaguars, dolphins and fish being in evidence, among others. This seems natural considering both the artist's residence in a jungle above a river as well as his Bachelors degree in Biology with a minor in Botany from the highly acclaimed Bennington College of Vermont. It also relates to Brockmann interest in indigenous folk art and ceremonial masks, most of whom portray animals. For the last several years this interest has been manifested in the form of Brockmann owning and operating a folk art gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Galeria Olinila.

The exhibition will be mounted at Galeria Pacifico's downtown location at 174 Calle Aldama, between Juarez and Morelos Streets, and will be on view through Jan. 16th. Photos and other information may be obtained by calling the gallery at (322) 222 1982 or 222 5502 during their working hours of 10 AM to 8 PM. from Monday through Saturday. Visits on Sundays are available by appointment by phone, and the gallery is reachable by e-mail at galeriapacifico@prodigy.net.mx.