Conversations with Brittany

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany.

Hi Brittany, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a Los Angeles-based artist, photographer, and calligrapher. I have always been an artist since I can remember—even as a little kid I would make mosaics out of flowers and rocks and paint all over the walls (much to my mom’s displeasure). But it took me until my 30s to really decide to claim that title (or realize it was, in fact, a conscience choice that was available for me to make). I grew up in the middle-of-nowhere on the outskirts of LA county, raised by a single mother, very low-income. I didn’t have a lot of access to cultural resources or a community of creatives to look up to. Trips to LA (museums or galleries or theaters) were always a breath of fresh air, and I felt like I belonged in a way, but also that I was not ever going to be cool enough to be a part of it all. I studied both studio art and art history in college, earning a dual BA in Art and Literature from Humboldt State (now Cal Poly Humboldt), and then pursued a master’s degree in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins. It felt more “practical” than pursuing an MFA at the time. I got married and had my first child at 22 right after graduating college, and had to think about career over passion. Thankfully, I landed somewhere in the middle—for the past decade I’ve worked at museums and arts organizations across Los Angeles in many capacities, ranging from gallery management to philanthropy. Over the past five years, though, I’ve been feeling an undeniable pull to start creating again. Like many people during the pandemic, isolation reawakened my innate desire to just create–anything at all. Just play and make and express the good, bad, and ugly. I got back into making art, working mostly in ink and charcoal, taught myself calligraphy, and got into film photography. When things in LA started opening back up, I started working random jobs for museums, galleries, and private events across LA, doing anything I had a skillset in—calligraphy, graphic design, photography. I couldn’t leave my professional work and a secure income, so those creative side things ebbed and flowed depending on my capacity as a working mother of three. Over the past year, I’ve decided to dive fully (albeit gradually) into creative work and am finally in a place mentally and financially where I can take somewhat of a risk—or leap of faith, I don’t know—to commit to what I actually want to do and feel fulfilled doing. I’ve been lucky to have worked with so many talented, successful, and inspirational artists in my career, but also know many who are in the same position as me, trying to find footing and build a stable practice and identity as an artist (or finally merge “artist” into their full identity). It brings me back to being a child and not feeling like it was ever possible, but I’ve now had mentors and friends prove otherwise, and am hopeful. It makes continue to think deeply about the young artists and creatives today who deserve access and opportunity to create and delve into their soul-driven purpose. In my professional career, I’ve helped to raise money for arts education and youth arts access in schools, and free arts programming at organizations across LA. With the current state of things, it feels like running a marathon on a treadmill, trying to fill an ever-widening gap. Artists and art are critical to communities, to societal dialogue. To keep art alive starts with instilling the passion for creativity and expression in our youth, and providing necessary supports to make, to think, to contribute—all which seem basic but are now under threat. I hope to continue contributing to making free arts access possible for youth, and all, within my own art practice.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a creative is typically never a smooth road. There are always barriers to break through, whether personal or societal. Certainly, the accessibility of arts opportunities is and has always been a barrier. While raising a family has resulted in a slower road to get to this point in my artistic career, I now have three young artists myself who I want to continue to inspire and provide opportunities for creative expression.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in experimental film photography, as well as 2D art including ink, watercolor, and acrylic/oil works focusing on the female—but more so the human—form, in all of its personal bodily evolution and identities.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’d love to engage in further dialogue with artists, and open to whatever comes next in this critical and pivotal time in my artistic journey.

Pricing:

• Calligraphy — upon request, full suites available
• Photography — portrait or event photography upon request

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britisserie/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-buchanan-994a128b

Image Credits
Brittany Buchanan