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Brad Downey

Spontaneous Sculptures

Clever and provocative urban interventions by a master of the genre.

With the element of surprise firmly on his side, the American artist Brad Downey creates powerful interventions that visually disrupt the routine of our urban perceptions. Downey’s art discourages quick glances and celebrates the double take. Using elements from film, sculpture, painting, and drawing, he creates remarkable work ranging from the spectacular and headline-making to the small, delicate, and almost hidden. This book is the most comprehensive collection of what Brad Downey calls his Spontaneous Sculptures. It brings together attractive, provocative, and clever urban interventions by a master of the genre—many of which are documented for the first time.

In cities, where does public space stop and privacy begin? Which experiences are purely personal and which ones are driven by commercially motivated impulses? Can we see the city and ourselves for what they actually are amidst the vast array of signs and images clamoring for our attention? The American artist Brad Downey tackles these and other structural, social, and political questions in his work. With the element of surprise firmly on his side, he creates powerful interventions that disrupt the routine of our visual perception. A shopping cart becomes a sculpture, a telephone booth is filled with balloons, and a stop sign is turned upside down. Using elements from film, sculpture, painting, and drawing, Downey creates remarkable work ranging from the spectacular and headline-making to the small, delicate, and almost hidden. Downey’s interventions in the cityscape can be spontaneous, subtle, and fleeting—it is precisely the way they interact with their surroundings that make them so effective. Some exist for barely half an hour before they are “corrected” again; others integrate themselves into the urban landscape and become a permanent work of art in the process. Downey’s art discourages quick glances and celebrates the double take. It encourages the viewer to take a hard look and refreshes the powers of discrimination that so often become jaded in the visual Babylon of our times. Brad Downey earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting under the tutelage of Bruce McLean. He holds workshops throughout the world and has been invited to create his “spontaneous sculptures” in places including New York, Berlin, Moscow, London, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

Authors: Brad Downey
Release date: September 2011
Format: 17 x 24 cm
Features: 160 pages, full color, hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-379-6

Payment and dispatch

The following terms and conditions apply:

The products are delivered all over the world.

Dispatch costs (inclusive of legally applicable VAT)

Domestic deliveries (Germany): 

Bücherbestellungen werden grundsätzlich kostenfrei versandt.

Andere Produkte, die keine Bücher sind und deren Bruttobestellwert weniger als mind. 20 € beträgt, werden mit einer 4 € Versandkostenpauschale berechnet.

From an order value of 20,00 € onwards, we deliver shipments free of cost.

Deliveries to foreign countries:

Free shipping to European Union and the USA.
Free worldwide shipping from 60 EUR/USD order value.

For orders below 60 EUR/USD the following shipping costs apply:
European Union & USA : € 0,-
All other countries: € 40,-


From an order value of 60,00 €, we deliver shipments to foreign countries free of cost.

Delivery periods

Unless otherwise specified in the quote, domestic delivery of goods shall be made (Germany) within 2 - 4 days, for deliveries abroad within 3 - 15 days from conclusion of contract (if advance payment agreed from the date of the payment instruction).
Please note that deliveries are not made on Sundays and other holidays.

If you have ordered articles with different delivery dates, we send the articles together in one delivery if no other agreement has been made. The delivery date for the complete order will be the same as that of the article with the longest delivery time.
Accepted Payment options

- Payment by SEPA direct debit
-  Payment via credit card
-  Payment via Sofortüberweisung [immediate transfer]
-  Payment via Google Pay
-  Payment via Apple Pay
-  Shopify Payments, ideal, eps-Überweisung, Bancontact



Further details on payment

When paying by SEPA direct debit, you authorize us by issuing a corresponding SEPA mandate to collect the invoice amount from the specified account.
You will receive a pre-notification at least 5 days before the date of direct debit collection. Please note that you are obliged to ensure sufficient funds in the account on the announced date.


If payment is made using a credit card, your credit card account is debited in conjunction with the conclusion of the contract.


In case of questions, please contact us at the contact details mentioned in the Legal Notice.
With the element of surprise firmly on his side, the American artist Brad Downey creates powerful interventions that visually disrupt the routine of our urban perceptions. Downey’s art discourages quick glances and celebrates the double take. Using elements from film, sculpture, painting, and drawing, he creates remarkable work ranging from the spectacular and headline-making to the small, delicate, and almost hidden. This book is the most comprehensive collection of what Brad Downey calls his Spontaneous Sculptures. It brings together attractive, provocative, and clever urban interventions by a master of the genre—many of which are documented for the first time.

In cities, where does public space stop and privacy begin? Which experiences are purely personal and which ones are driven by commercially motivated impulses? Can we see the city and ourselves for what they actually are amidst the vast array of signs and images clamoring for our attention? The American artist Brad Downey tackles these and other structural, social, and political questions in his work. With the element of surprise firmly on his side, he creates powerful interventions that disrupt the routine of our visual perception. A shopping cart becomes a sculpture, a telephone booth is filled with balloons, and a stop sign is turned upside down. Using elements from film, sculpture, painting, and drawing, Downey creates remarkable work ranging from the spectacular and headline-making to the small, delicate, and almost hidden. Downey’s interventions in the cityscape can be spontaneous, subtle, and fleeting—it is precisely the way they interact with their surroundings that make them so effective. Some exist for barely half an hour before they are “corrected” again; others integrate themselves into the urban landscape and become a permanent work of art in the process. Downey’s art discourages quick glances and celebrates the double take. It encourages the viewer to take a hard look and refreshes the powers of discrimination that so often become jaded in the visual Babylon of our times. Brad Downey earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting under the tutelage of Bruce McLean. He holds workshops throughout the world and has been invited to create his “spontaneous sculptures” in places including New York, Berlin, Moscow, London, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

Art English

Authors: Brad Downey
Release date: September 2011
Format: 17 x 24 cm
Features: 160 pages, full color, hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-89955-379-6

Payment and dispatch

The following terms and conditions apply:

The products are delivered all over the world.

Dispatch costs (inclusive of legally applicable VAT)

Domestic deliveries (Germany): 

Bücherbestellungen werden grundsätzlich kostenfrei versandt.

Andere Produkte, die keine Bücher sind und deren Bruttobestellwert weniger als mind. 20 € beträgt, werden mit einer 4 € Versandkostenpauschale berechnet.

From an order value of 20,00 € onwards, we deliver shipments free of cost.

Deliveries to foreign countries:

Free shipping to European Union and the USA.
Free worldwide shipping from 60 EUR/USD order value.

For orders below 60 EUR/USD the following shipping costs apply:
European Union & USA : € 0,-
All other countries: € 40,-


From an order value of 60,00 €, we deliver shipments to foreign countries free of cost.

Delivery periods

Unless otherwise specified in the quote, domestic delivery of goods shall be made (Germany) within 2 - 4 days, for deliveries abroad within 3 - 15 days from conclusion of contract (if advance payment agreed from the date of the payment instruction).
Please note that deliveries are not made on Sundays and other holidays.

If you have ordered articles with different delivery dates, we send the articles together in one delivery if no other agreement has been made. The delivery date for the complete order will be the same as that of the article with the longest delivery time.
Accepted Payment options

- Payment by SEPA direct debit
-  Payment via credit card
-  Payment via Sofortüberweisung [immediate transfer]
-  Payment via Google Pay
-  Payment via Apple Pay
-  Shopify Payments, ideal, eps-Überweisung, Bancontact



Further details on payment

When paying by SEPA direct debit, you authorize us by issuing a corresponding SEPA mandate to collect the invoice amount from the specified account.
You will receive a pre-notification at least 5 days before the date of direct debit collection. Please note that you are obliged to ensure sufficient funds in the account on the announced date.


If payment is made using a credit card, your credit card account is debited in conjunction with the conclusion of the contract.


In case of questions, please contact us at the contact details mentioned in the Legal Notice.

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