His art deeply touches the Kansas soul, so deeply that his art often shows many people for the first time that this state has a soul. To Brothers, the highest compliment is to be placed in the company of Missouri's Thomas Hart Benton, Kansas' John Steuart Curry and Iowa's Grant Wood, the Midwestern Regionalists of the 1930's who were ridiculed by the artistic elite of their day. Strength of design Acknowledging that he has done abstract pieces, including one displayed prominently in downtown Lawrence, Brothers said that the key to any art piece is design. If you don't have strong design, it won't work. Again the stress on fundamentals.
Artists have to work their talent like someone lifting weights.
You've got to do it everyday. As suggested by the weight-lifting comparison, Brothers' creative process is as much physical as inspirational. Bronze sculpture is a demanding task that requires the strength of a steelworker, the touch of a calligrapher and the patience of a parent of twins. At any time, the thing can collapse, at a huge cost in creative energy and financial investment.