I had the pleasure of interviewing up and coming painter/visual artist Corinna Nicole Brewer. Here is what she had to say to some of the questions I asked her about her work.
Self Portrait painted by Corinna Nicole Brewer
Corinna Nicole is a visual artist currently
residing in Oakland, California. Corinna was born in 1985 in Germany,
where she grew up for 8 years. She later moved to Alabama, living there
for 16 years before moving to California. She has a Bachelor's in Art
from the University of Montevallo, in Montevallo, Alabama and received
her Master's in Fine Arts in the Practice of Art from
UC Berkeley in May 2011.
Primarily a painter, but interested in other media, Corinna's work often deals with identity and desire, whether it is about the dynamics between herself and others, her desire for women, her bi-racial heritage or her interests in female masculinities.
Primarily a painter, but interested in other media, Corinna's work often deals with identity and desire, whether it is about the dynamics between herself and others, her desire for women, her bi-racial heritage or her interests in female masculinities.
Where do you do your work?
I have a studio
in Richmond, CA, provided by UC Berkeley at which I do my oil paintings,
but I often do smaller, less toxic work in my bed. Unfortunately, I
will no longer have my studio after July, so after that I'll be doing
all of my work in my bedroom.
Do you work from life, or from photographs or from
imagination?
I almost always work from photograph.
To be honest, working purely from imagination is not a strong point for
me and usually results in scribbles that end up in the trash.
What moves you most in life, either to inspire or upset you?
The
people in my life and the communities I'm a part of inspire me. Much of
my work deals with the queer community because that is what I'm
surrounded by and interested in. I also recently started "stalking" my
friends facebook profiles for kiss pictures of which I do ink/watercolor
drawings.
Do any of your paintings have a deeper meaning?
Most
of my work is made with the intention of making the viewer think about,
reflect on, acknowledge or struggle with some idea. My most recent
large scale paintings, for example appropriated classical images of the
objectified female nude, which I then recreated by employing images of
powerful, strong Masculine of Center women who reject the male gaze. The
paintings demand that the viewer re-assess how women should be viewed
and acknowledge that they may not necessarily fit the stereotypical
category of "feminine."
Do you express different feelings when painting or do you
just paint for the sake of painting?
Usually I create
art to express a feeling, because my goal is for the viewer to spend
time with my work, rather than just glance at it and take it for a
"beautiful painting." I want the viewer to feel something, to feel
compelled to stay with it and have my art stay with them even after they
are no longer looking at it. But sometimes, I need a break from that
and will make art just for the sake of making it - art that is more
lighthearted and about being visually pleasing.
Do you work certain hours each day or only when you are
inspired to work?
Unless I'm on a tight deadline, I try
to only create when I'm in the mood to. I find that forcing myself to
make art only results in works that I do not like. Sometimes I'll only
go to the studio once a week, sometimes I'll be in bed and suddenly get
the urge to draw at 2am.
Out of all the career choices, do you think your career
choice was a good one?
Although I didn't know that I
wanted to be an artist until my sophomore year of undergrad, I strongly
believe I was born to do this. I am not interested in anything else. Art
is the only career I can see myself pursuing and being passionate
about.
What do you enjoy about art?
I enjoy that art is
about connecting. I appreciate the fact that not every work of art
speaks to me, meaning that when I do find a work that I am interested
in, I'm meant to spend time with it for a reason. I enjoy that anything
can be argued to be art, if presented in the right context. Art creates
dialogue and is meant to document the world we live in, as well as the
things we can not see. I enjoy that art expresses more than words are
capable of.
What is the
role of the artist in society?
The role of the artist is to show things people normally might now see.
What is the place of your work in society?
I'm still figuring that out. I'm relatively new to the art world and I'm still trying to find my niche.
What technique do you use?
Whatever technique is right for the particular work of art.
Which is more important to you, the subject of your
painting, or the way it is executed?
The way the
painting is executed is important in how the subject matter is expressed
once the work of art is completed. But in the end, people will be more
focused on the subject matter than the technique. I think most people
have no idea what we as artists go through to create a work of art and
they probably never will unless they spend a day in the studio with us.
So I suppose I am more concerned with the subject matter of my art.
How do u feel when you are letting your emotions loose on
the canvas?
The process of making art can often be objective for me, even though the
content of the work is very subjective. I tend to zone into the strokes
of my paintbrush, how the colors are blending, etc, rather than paint
with an emotion. On the other hand, when I do my kiss drawings, an
on-going project of fun, quirky images of people kissing, I often catch
myself smiling as I am drawing because I enjoy the quirkiness of them
and get pleasure out of the expressions I put on paper.
Do you see yourself changing the face of art, like for
example Michelangelo?
I hope that my art will bring more
light to and give a voice to queer people of color. But I think I have a
long road ahead of me.
Is it more difficult to market your work as a Black female
in the art industry?
Statistically, yes, that is a
fact. If you're not a European, white male, your place in the art world
is undoubtedly more difficult. I find that being an artist is difficult
all in all. It requires not only that you make art, but that you spend
just as much time marketing yourself, putting yourself out there. It can
be exhausting. I do think that because my work often deals with subject
matter that is very specific to the queer community, it is more
difficult for me to find venues to exhibit my art. As horrible as it may
sound, lately I've been trying to create art that may be more
accessible to a larger, broader audience.
Where do you see yourself as an artist in the next 5yrs?
Hopefully in my studio making art, having my art widely exhibited, and be represented by a few galleries.
What makes you different from other artists or painters?
I
don't think I have an answer for that one. Art is such a non-typical
path...every artist finds their own way. I would, however, say that
while art making is a huge part of my life, I look most forward to
becoming a mother. I think having a child is the one thing that is more
important to me than art.
View Corinna Nicole's Artwork at http://corinna-nicole.com/home.html
