Brent Crothers Sculpture Installation at Graw Alley
Reimagined. Recycled. Remarkable.
Located in the heart of Graw Alley Interactive Mural Park, this striking installation features three large-scale sculptures by local artist Brent Crothers. Created from reclaimed materials, the sculptures explore themes of renewal, resilience, and environmental stewardship.
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Part of Crothers’ Water Wars series, these works invite visitors to reflect on the relationship between people, nature, and the future of the planet.
Artist Statement
Don’t we all want to express something about this world we find ourselves living in? I’m not a writer, so what I do to voice my concerns, my dreams, and my questions is to wrestle, rip, stack, bend, wrap, tie, bind, burn, hang, pile, cut, chisel, nail, solder, weave, bolt, drill, beat, and grind materials in such ways to create sculptural forms that have their own stories to tell. These pieces are part of a searching dialogue between me and the world. At the root of this work is a respect for nature and the questioning of all the wasted materials that surround us. More and more I’m incorporating unappreciated and discarded materials, transforming them into small communities to create forms and giving the materials new life.
In my art I’ve come to believe that there can be no separation between humanitarian, social, political, and environmental issues. We need creative thinking in every aspect of our lives today more than ever.
- Brent Crothers
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Water Wars #2
Part of the Water Wars Series
reclaimed garden hoses
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"I came upon a pile of garden hoses headed for the landfill and thought they deserved more than that. I acquired and found more discarded hoses that water used to run though. The accumulating and making of this piece took a number of years to bring together. Slowly, the hoses were tied and woven into a sphere which eventually grew into an elongated human-sized egg. It's hard for us in the West to imagine a world without fresh H2O, but that's where we are heading if we don't change things, and soon."​​​​​
The Sculptures
The Egg as Symbol
Throughout this collection, the egg serves as a powerful symbol of rebirth, hope, and the perfection of nature. Created following a serious health crisis, these forms reflect Brent Crothers' personal journey while conveying a universal message of resilience and renewal.
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Experience the Installation
Located in the heart of Graw Alley Interactive Mural Park, this permanent installation features three monumental sculptures by acclaimed Havre de Grace artist Brent Crothers. Created from reclaimed materials, each work is part of his powerful Water Wars series, exploring themes of renewal, resilience, sustainability, and humanity's relationship with natural resources.
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Visitors are invited to walk among the sculptures and experience their remarkable scale, craftsmanship, and message.
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Golden Egg #2
Part of the Water Wars Series
recycled tire treads
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"Many layers of used tire treads wrapped around an old small fiberglass water tank to create an egg or cocoon type of form. This piece is part of the Water Wars series. The tires are symbolic, for me, of oil and the Industrial Revolution. Oil is part of the root of the many power struggles today, but the real liquid gold of today and the future is fresh water and it will be through the power of oil that it will be controlled."​​​​
Synergy
Part of the Water Wars Series
reclaimed copper pipe
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"My brother knew I'd been sick for a long time and called to tell me the price of scrap copper was higher than it had ever been. One day I walked up to the studio with the intention of gathering the copper for recycling. It only took a moment for me to realize that there was too much history in these old pipes and fittings to recycle in that manner. Thus started the 3-year project and sculpture Synergy. I wasn’t even sure where I was going with it at first. Each day I got healthier and so the project grew. I like the human scale of it. Many memories merged."​​​​​​
Photo Credit: Joseph Hyde
A Lasting Legacy
Dedicated to Graw Alley by Brent Crothers' family, these sculptures stand as a lasting tribute to the artist's vision and his belief in the power of creativity to inspire change. We gratefully acknowledge the Havre de Grace Arts Collective Public Art Committee for helping make this extraordinary gift possible.
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