David Brothers

David Brothers is an American multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker. He is notable for his art installations and co-direction of the avant-garde film It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007). His work frequently examines the line between the artificial and the authentic, exploring surreal, fantastical, and dystopian themes.^[1] Brothers' photography has appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone,^[2] Maxim, Popsmear, SLUG, Dear Dave, and Stuff magazines.^[3]

Brothers began producing, writing, and acting in radio dramas, with notable projects including The Church of Jayne Mansfield and The New Atomic Age.^[3] He wrote, illustrated, and published a variety of works, including comic books, pamphlets, religious tracts, trading cards, and Tijuana bibles, displaying an interest in unconventional storytelling and use of multiple media.^[4]

By day, Brothers worked as a film industry set designer, constructing immersive and believable spaces.^[5] His professional experience constructing sets informs his artwork, where he builds and photographs sets in his studio, creating images that blur the boundary between artifice and reality.^[6] A recurring theme in Brothers' artwork is the exploration of constructed environments.^[4][7] His sets invite viewers to question the distinction between the artificial and the authentic.^[5][8]

Brothers has created both animated and live-action films, with three of his works featured at the Sundance Film Festival. Brothers co-directed the short film The Backward Swing (1987) and the feature film It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007) with Crispin Glover.^[9] The latter project is the second film in Glover’s It trilogy.^[10] An intensely personal and surreal film, written by and starring Steven C. Stewart, that examines themes of disability, sexuality, and psychological complexity.^[11] Critics have praised the film for its audacity and originality, with Time Out calling it “profoundly uncomfortable and eerily poetic.”^[12] The New York Times noted the film's unique vision, blending stark realism with surreal imagery to challenge societal preconceptions.^[13]

• Official website