Meet Brandon Brewer | Collage Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Brewer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, how do you think about risk?

The earliest risk-taking behavior that comes to mind was in Senior year of high school the moment I decided to forego Computer Science, a subject of high interest and motivation, to challenge myself in the area of English literature, which had always been more of an academic weakness. While I did admittedly improve my writing the cost outweighed the reward and, dare I say, robbed me of a promising career in computer programming or videogame development. In the end it taught me the valuable lesson of cost-risk analysis that I strive to apply to many facets of life and work including art.

Producing art with the public in mind is inherently risky because you open up your internal thoughts to the interpretation of others. For me the mere verbalization of intent often changes the original meaning of a piece that materialized from inner dialogue, noise or silence. Thus the artist risks the misinterpretation, reinterpretation or critique of an idea that you revealed to the world. Of course many artists can and do create for the sake of creating for themselves and themselves only. Yet rarely will one find a creator who has decided to turn their skill into a profession with that same luxury.

In the business of producing and selling art the public is obligatory, and every business model is intrinsically driven by the real or imagined needs of the client. Thus, the audience’s reaction to a work of art becomes an increasingly important component of the creative process even before the pencil, brush or stylus touch the canvas. In this light starting a business as an artist has been risky as I strive to find the healthy balance between staying true to my voice and listening to others’.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began my college career with a major in Media Arts and minor in Studio Art focusing on digital media and figure drawing. Occasionally dabbling in illustrated portraits for family and friends, it was the pandemic of 2020 and the Black Lives Matter movement decades later that transformed my artistic spirit, leading to the discovery of analog and digital collage as a therapeutic means of expression, and self-discovery.

Thematically my work symbolizes the active assembly of three elements centered around community; Black joy, Black beauty and Blackness, the representations of which I often passively absorbed as a media consumer in my youth. Throughout quarantine and the Black Lives Matter Movement, collaging began as both an act of self-care and political action as I nurture a pride in Black culture while also seeking to actively and positively contribute to it.

In the future, I aspire to honing my craft in analog and digital collage and experimenting with new unfamiliar mediums including oil paint and mixed media. Ultimately, I want my art to remain as personal as possible while speaking to the public at large, hoping I bring something new to the discourse.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My absolute favorite kind of travel itinerary is an absent one. Particularly if the trip involves a country whose official language is different from English, I prefer to choose a neighborhood to stroll through to observe citylife in the day-to-day. Aside from traversing a walkable neighborhood, my subsequent recommendations would involve a list of intimate music venues, improve comedy clubs and good Mexican food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Several artists helped inspire the collaging process at the inception of my career ,  some of whom I admired at a distance via social media while others provided mentoring and friendship. My earliest body of work in collage drew great inspiration from Adam Hales minimalist analog collages. As I ventured into digital manipulation I incorporated inspiration from Alex Grabowski’s enticing reiterative digital collages. On a more personal level I look towards fellow collagist Heather Polk as a mentor who I can count on for constructive criticism, advice and solidarity as Black collage artists in a non-POC dominated field. Lastly, I want to thank my amazing friends Shannon and Khadra who have served countless times as a springboard for rough sketches and ideas.

Website: www.AlltheBoystotheArt.com

Instagram: @AlltheboystotheArt