Working in a variety of mediums and materials, he often finds a complimentary tone and strength in metal, both cast and welded. In reclaimed and deteriorated materials, he finds history and a new story to be ventured.
Savage’s subject matter has an equal diversity – musical instrument forms, land and ocean creatures, indigenous and tribal ritual, additive attributes to the masters of art and design, deterioration, abandoned civilizations, life cycles in gestation and many others.
The images contained in his first books during the early 1970’s; The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau, seeded curiosity and exploration of our planet natural, life cycles, and the importance of caring for our world environment as gentle observers and stewards. Other books in the family library had great influence too – African Mythology and Art and Conran’s New House Book – where Brian spent countless hours of imagining the lives of the people and the spaces they occupy.
Growing up in coastal Maine, island life was filled with boat building, the stillness of fog, stormy weather patterns, self-sufficiency, lobster fishing and playing among the remains of a nineteenth-century island granite quarrying and carving operation that sent carved granite pieces to build Boston, New York City and Washington DC. All had affect on his aesthetic sensibilities. Unearthed lichen covered granite carvings or a broken piece of sculpture gave way to wonder about the people who hand-carved these stone works and what their lives were like. These deteriorated and weather beaten objects from another time instilled a sense of forwarded history where nature has also had her hand in the creation.
Likewise, sci-fi and futuristic space explorations intrigued young Savage. Concepts like the prime directive (impacts of human condition, influence, indulgence and dysfunction) from the original Star Trek fed a realization that it’s a necessity within the process to call into question the long term consequences on our surrounding environment in our attempts to fill our void. We must consider our impact upon ourselves and the other beings with whom we share the planet.
Brian attended Northeastern University, studying engineering and African Music and Culture, University of Maine – studying geology and art history, and receiving a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art – performance art, inter-related media, Asian and Polynesian art studies and design. And later, a two year certificate program with UCLA for screen writing.