About Brian Corbley

Born in 1960 in the New York City borough of Manhattan, spending early childhood years growing up in the home of Roger and Marie Buck, located in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Son of Reneé (Buck) and John James Corbley, who also resided in Roger and Marie's home. Siblings include a younger sister, Jeanne Marie, and older brother John Roger. Went to Parochial Grade School(s) and Parochial High School, graduating in 1978. Learned to play piano at the early age of five or six on his mother Renee's Wurlitzer(R) Baby Grand piano. An avid musician and composer, Brian has continued playing keyboard instruments including acoustic and digital pianos, along with vintage Hammond B3(R) tone wheel electric organs and Leslie (R) Rotary Speakers. Much of Mr. Corbley's professional career has centered on woodworking hand & power tools, manual and automated CNC woodworking machinery and industrial cutting tools for wood, acrylic, plastic, solid surface, non-ferrous and other materials. In addition, he was trained to operate a 5-axis CNC (Computer Numeric-Controlled) Carbide Circular Saw Grinder and Profile Knife Grinders. Brian has authored many industrial tool catalogs, attended dozens of Industrial Trade Shows, served as Marketing and Technical Director for a major cutting tool company, was Regional Sales Manager for a well-known CNC Machinery Manufacturer, along with owning several related businesses. For many years, Mr. Corbley has curated, preserved, exhibited, and catalogued the artwork of Roger A. Buck, his maternal grandfather. There were several oil paintings that underwent complete conservation, or restoration, to bring back the original quality and beauty of the artists' work. This process included re-stretching and repairing of the original canvasses, cleaning, inpainting and museum-quality re-framing. The remaining artwork includes oil paintings, drawings, wood sculptures, carving tools and woodcut/wood engraving blocks & prints. There have been several, more recent, Exhibitions conducted or Mr. Bucks' work, and the largest, to date, was held at the Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, between July and October 2010. This was retrospective of the 1934 Montross Gallery Show in New York City, and featured an introduction by David Beronä. Mr. Beronä, author of Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels (Abrams, 2008) was, at the time, Dean of the Library and Academic Support Services at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Among several Exhibitions in New Hampshire that included Roger Bucks' work, Mr. Beronä curated shows at The Alliance of Visual Arts (AVA) between September and October 2011, and at the Edwards Art Gallery / Holderness School between September and October 2010, both in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Mr. Corbley's intention is to publish a series of books related to the artwork of Roger A. Buck, and to ultimately publish a complete Catalogue Raisonné estimated to be 600 pages. He is a member of the Catalogue Raisonné Scholars Association (CRSA), and 'Christmas Greetings: Block Prints by Roger Buck' is his first book.