User:Debbie23nw/sandbox

Philosophy
The essence of my work evolves from an exploration of both the physical and psychological movement in man in interaction with the spectrum of influences inherent in nature. I aesthetically redefine the emotional impact of nature on man in motion.

At the foundation of the physical and psychological movement, I incorporate fluid forms, minimal line, segments of motion, or combinations of these and other elements to create a visual dialogue of movement. Surface texture, real or implied, has a harmonizing effect that reflects nature. This effect contributes to the blending of motion and nature into a single cohesive form.

These forms are shaped, combined, and textured to create a visual statement--a dialogue of movement and time. Branko Medenica

Biography
Branko Medenica, sculptor was born in Darmstadt, Germany in 1950 to a German mother, Hedwig (Heidi) Knörzer Medenica and Yugoslavian father, Walter Vojislav Medenica. With his younger brother, Gordon, the family moved to New York City, and lived there until 1956, when they moved to Pittsburgh, PA. When Walter Medenica began to work as a civil engineer for Marshall Space Flight Center, the Medenicas moved to Huntsville, AL, where the third brother, Alexander, was born.

Education
Medenica received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL, in 1972, having attended the school on a swim team scholarship. In addition to studying business administration, Branko was active in the art and theatre departments. He completed his studies in 1975 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and ceramics from the University of Mississippi.

Employment
After the University of Mississippi, Medenica worked as an artist-in-residence, first on a seven-month tour of the upper Midwest United States on the Michigan Artrain, then at Lakeview School, in Birmingham, AL, one of the first hires under CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act). He continued his career under a corporate patron, the J. C. McGahan Company, from 1976-1983, during which time, Medenica created a large body of work. In 1983, Branko founded his own studio, Sculpture Sight, where he continues to design and create sculpture.

Professional Activities
Other professional activities include Artist-in-Residence at the Performing Arts Center of Mountain Brook High School, Mountain Brook, AL, 1986-87, Gallery Director of the Birmingham Arts Alliance, 1980, juror for local regional and national competitions, 1981-present, Chair of the Visual Arts Advisory Panel for the Alabama State Arts Council, 1982, as well as lectures and demonstrations for civic groups, universities, and national organizations, 1983-present.

Works
Medenica’s works include 32 large-scale commissions, located in the United States, Europe, and Japan, and 39 exhibitions in regional and national shows and galleries around the United States. His work has been documented in 21 national periodicals and 73 newspapers worldwide, from Japan to the United States.

In addition to participating in conservation and restoration of existing sculptures, Medenica has created abstract sculptures in a variety of mediums, many in stainless steel. He is also very well known for his commemorative pieces in cast bronze. One can learn more about Branko Medenica, Sculptor, and his work on his website: www.brankoart.com.