LINNIE BROWN, Perimeter, mixed media on paper, 16” x 18”
Opposition exists within our daily lives– night and day, good and evil, life and death. Opposition defines us and, therefore, proves endlessly fascinating.
Local artist, Linnie Brown, represents this fascination within her artwork. Finding balance within opposition becomes key, and the artist utilizes varying media to create this tenuous balance. In looking at her work, it seems easy to make the connection between Modernism. Picasso and Cubism come to mind in viewing her work and in attempting to interpret various forms into a meaningful whole. She seems to synthesize an earlier style into modern relevance.
LINNIE BROWN, Unincorporated, mixed media on paper, 16” x 18”
What first inspired Brown’s interest in art? According to the artist, “It’s hard to say when my interest in art first started. Growing up, I always liked to do stuff with my hands– crafts, drawing, making doll clothes. I took art during junior high and high school; it was always one of my favorite classes. In college, I was undecided for awhile as to what to study. But as I took more classes, I realized that making art could encompass so many different disciplines and be so varied. It was something I could do for the rest of my life.”
This lifelong passion developed into an interest in collage. “During college I took a class where we created our own simple stencils and used them multiple times throughout a work. I was really attracted to the idea and aesthetic of rapidly repeating and layering an image. At the time, I was also working at a print shop on campus (where we received a 50% discount on copies!). I was creating stencils from photocopies, and then it just expanded into trying out photo-transfers and then using the photocopies directly.”
LINNIE BROWN, Exurban, mixed media on panel, 36” x 36”
This interest in collage and in using actual pieces of other media, like photocopies, seems reminiscent of Picasso’s Synthetic Cubism. He also utilized various elements to create a unified work. Brown indicates that using many media has its advantages by adding to a multiplicity of meaning. “I feel like it gives me a wider visual vocabulary from which to draw. As far as how that affects content, I think it creates a greater sense of layering, which is a big part of my work. I also think it adds another level of opposition by getting different styles and techniques to fit with each other.”
What oppositions interest Brown the most, and how do her works resolve such tension? “I’m really interested in the opposition between natural and human-made ideas and imagery—the push/pull/give/take revision process and how they negotiate with each other. Previously, work of mine has been directed at achieving a harmonious balance between these opposing ideas. Unique forms and structures emerge as they combine. But, recently, as my work explores the borders between developed and undeveloped areas of communities, I’m leaving things less resolved and more one-sided. It’s a new thing for me to keep the tension there, and I feel like it better represents the concept I’m interested in.”
Brown’s interest in tension resonates throughout the history of art. How does she continue the progression of art into the 2000s? “I don’t know that I consider myself an Expressionist, but I do sometimes get the sense that everything’s been done already. What do I have that’s new to contribute? Abstraction has been in use/done for awhile, but it still feels relevant to me because I’m interested in abstract concepts of transformation, tension, revision.”
LINNIE BROWN, Right-of-Way, mixed media on panel, 36” x 36”
Brown exists as more than an Abstractionist. In reading her biography, it indicates that she also has a teaching license. What advantages does she experience as an artist who also knows how to teach art? “Yes, I do have a teaching license, and I actually taught art for a couple of years at Pleasant Grove High School and a little at our local art center. I think artists, whether they want to be or not, are all art educators in how they speak about their art and relate it to others. So, in a way, having been an art educator makes me more mindful of that. I’m aware that some people’s experience with art may be quite limited (their only experience may be that one art class they had in junior high), so I try to be straight-forward when talking about my work, and I keep the vague ‘art-speak’ to a minimum. I also think that teaching helps keep you open to more possibilities; you realize that not everyone learns things the same way, so you’re constantly thinking of alternatives or how else you could teach something so students ‘get it.’ For example, a friend of mine in graduate school teaches ceramics. She mentioned that she knows five different ways to teach centering on the wheel; if one doesn’t work for a student, they move onto a different way. That creative practice is an important skill as artist, too– being open to different ideas and options that might work in a better way.”
LINNIE BROWN, Sept #6, mixed media on paper, 16” x 16”
Creating art and teaching does not exist without challenges. How does Brown deal with those challenges? “It’s the classic challenge of how do you do what you love and still make money (so you can keep doing what you love). I think there’s also the challenge of being taken seriously. There’s so much visual information out there, and to distinguish your work as legitimate and unique is a tough thing. To be honest, I haven’t figured this one out yet. I’ve been a very-part-time artist and stay-at-home mom for the past ten years. I decided to go to graduate school to help me transition back into creating art more full-time.”
What advice does Brown have for young artists? “As a burgeoning artist myself, I’m still learning as well, but some things that have helped me so far are:
- Set aside specific time for art-making. It’s easy for this to get overrun by so many other things; you really have to carve out the time and make it non-negotiable. I don’t do all-night painting sessions; I think it’s better to create a sustainable pattern/habit of art-making that you can keep up over time.
- Attach yourself to or create a community of other artists. This could be formally or informally, but just some people to get ideas, support, and leads from.
- Keep learning and asking questions; creativity is one of your greatest strengths.”
![LINNIE BROWN, Annexation, mixed media on panel, 36” x 36”]()
LINNIE BROWN, Annexation, mixed media on panel, 36” x 36”
To experience more of Brown’s work, refer to her website at: http://www.linniebrown.com.
