In my "singer-songwriter" era

Still making 100% visual art and 0% music.

As I delve into Romance as a theme by recalling my own experiences, it has felt strange in the company of my visual art peers. But when I consider that a huge genre of music is rooted in exactly this topic, I relaxed into it a bit.

The Framework

There’s this triad. I call them “the selves” or “the Briannas” and they are always the same three archetypes I separated myself into for this work. They are: Head of Feelings, Brave Front, and the Spymaster.

As I tried to make sense of my own internal landscape, I kept coming back to feeling confused, feeling more than one thing at once without hierarchy, and not feeling confident in my ability to portray that range in a single still face or body. Separating out the Briannas has helped me not only create some really compelling artworks, but also helped me make better sense of my own emotions in real time. I might say “I don’t know how I feel” but if I come at it from the side “what does the Spymaster feel about this?” I find I have an answer more often than not.

In this new body of work I have used the selves as characters in a non-linear stageplay. I have dressed them in costumes and blocked them on sets with props to express how it feels to have a crush, to breakup with someone, or to decide to move on (for the nth time).

the selves:

Head of Feelings

She often leads the Briannas in their approach to different scenarios. She is the kindest and most empathetic. She cries the most easily. She wears her hair down and likes dresses and skirts. She is also the most hopeful, most likely to look on the bright side.

the selves:

Brave Front

Also a leader, she often acts in a way that is protective of the other selves. She says and does the painful, necessary things. In moments of safety, she gets to rest. She like to wear heels and has the best posture (read: isn’t afraid to take up space).

the selves:

Spymaster

She is the innermost self, the most reflective, critical, and creative. She sits back and observes patterns: half analytical, half gut feeling. Her hair is always up, like Violet Baudelaire, thinking with her ribbon.

a quick detour

House of Lies (nobody lives here)

Inspired by translucent quilting, this collage-piece is based on my own deeply earnest approach to life and love, wherein if I lie... we're doomed. This is a super limited edition of 10 and a clear link between the Comfort Project and Romance Series.

Look closer

"Soft" as in "In Progress"

The first four artworks in this Romance theme are so compelling that I didn't want to wait to share them with you. I'm continuing to work in this theme and with this framework, but I've reached a natural pausing point as my Fall is filled with Market Prep and other side projects. As of right now, I'm still planning on taking inspiration from my own experiences, but I've loved your input in the past, so I'll think of something to get you involved! In the meantime, it would be so cool to hear from you about which piece resonates the most strongly with you and why. Send me an email or an instagram DM ♥

and without further ado...

Thanks for joining me here

This is the type of creative work that ten-years-ago Brianna would have never dreamed of making. It's too self centred, too cringe-y, too indulgent to count as serious art. In the last decade I have done a lot of growing, and you, the people who are willing to meet me and my art in these strange new places are a big part of that. Whenever I have a new theme, I'm excited to share it with you. I'm pretty sure you're going to SEE it for all that it is.

You rock.