Self-Portrait

Born in Brooklyn, NY. After studying at the New York School of Industrial Arts, he worked in window display for major New York department stores following graduation and then, after serving as an Air Force gunner during WW II, he attended Yale Drama School of Graduate Studies as a scenic design major. Later at the University of Kansas City in Missouri, he taught scenic design, costume design and technical theater before returning to New York. There he began working in scenic design, which segued into live television for CBS and ABC, and then motion pictures. He was production designer for most of Neil Simon's movies (THE SUNSHINE BOYS, 1975; THE GOODBYE GIRL, 1977; CALIFORNIA SUITE, 1978; ONLY WHEN I LAUGH, 1981; I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES, 1982; and MAX DUGAN RETURNS, 1983). Other notable (non-nominated) production design credits include LUV (1967), SUMMER OF '42 (1971), THE OTHER (1972), THE MISSOURI BREAKS and SILENT MOVIE (both 1976), COMA and CAPRICORN ONE (both 1978), THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER (1981), UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1984), SWEET DREAMS (1985), RUNNING SCARED and THE MORNING AFTER (1986), THE PRESIDIO (1988), PRETTY WOMAN (1990), BACKDRAFT and FRANKIE AND JOHNNY (both 1991), MR. SATURDAY NIGHT (1992), THE PROGRAM (1993), UNDER SEIGE 2: DARK TERRITORY (1995), and DEAR GOD (1996). Brenner came out of a brief retirement to be production designer for THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT (2004) and GEORGIA RULE (2007). Now, forty-five films and five Academy Award nominations later, Brenner devotes most of his energies and creativity to sculpting. His first serious sculpture was created in 1968, during the film shoot of MONTE WALSH. At a powerful moment in the film, the lead character stands over his fallen horse waiting for the animal to rise. The horse and rider, which he sculpted in wax on the set, was later cast in bronze on his return to Los Angeles. Since then, Brenner has created a wide body of work, ranging from western pieces to a predominance of representational and portraiture, and has spent time living, studying and in sculpting in Italy. An associate member of the National Sculpture Society, International Sculpture Center and the California Art Club, Brenner twice won first place at the CAC Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, a Silver at the California Art Museum and the National Sculpture Society. He is currently exhibiting at Gallery Grace in Laguna Beach. He divides his time between Los Angeles and Pietrasanta, Italy.  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1975: THE SUNSHINE BOYS - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1977: THE TURNING POINT - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1978: CALIFORNIA SUITE - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1984: 2010 - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction 1988: BEACHES - Art Direction 5 nominations