“Painting is the reason”
- Todd Brugman
—Todd Brugman is from the Boston area, he has been creating and thinking about the visual arts for as long as he can remember. Todd's a deep existential thinker, who’s thoughts go further than his head through his art.
He grew up in what is often referred to a normal working family. Despite everything appearing safe, Todd and the life he's experienced is nothing of the sort.
What each individual considers ‘trauma’ is often relative to the life they have lead. Todd has experienced trauma time and time again, always putting one foot in front of the other. He sites his survival of said trauma to his ability to “think in the 3rd person”, think outside the box, and then navigate these experiences via creative means, visual art.
Todd's late teens to mid 20’s were the most difficult time for him. He was coming to terms with the reality that he'd survived a traumatic youth and was struggling to cope with it's effects. Ultimately he eventually overcame his demons and has become a better person for it. Todd works hard to continue to be compassionate and to improve his relationship with the world.
Todd states that he must paint, “my focus must be happiness and contentment, and for me that is synonymous with creating artwork.” For Todd, life is “painful,” for Todd life is “beautiful,” he says these aren’t mutually exclusive for him.
Todd paints daily at his studio, The Todd Brugman Studio Gallery, at the SoWA courtyard, 46 Waltham St Boston. He states that no matter where his mind is, when his brush hits the canvas he is transported into ecstasy. He describes it as a world of the most illuminating ideas that are fleeting like a dream, ideas that are half answers without a question. This is a place of true joy and contentment. For Todd, painting is the reason