We recently had the chance to connect with Brian Thomas Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Brian Thomas, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I usually wake up around 6:30-7:00a. Brush teeth. Wash face. Then I go out on the screen porch and check on my bonsai. Water if necessary and mist the greenery. I’ll take a spin around the backyard to see what the natural day has to offer. Maybe harvest citrus from the trees then head to the kitchen to make fresh squeezed OJ or lemonade.
I either make a pot of coffee if other folks in the house will be up soon, or I’ll just take the easy way out and make a Keurig pod. Breakfast is a Jimmy Dean’s sausage and egg croissant. It’s a tasty little food pellet that usually lasts me ’til lunch. Not too bad if you douse it with ketchup and hot sauce.
From there it’s upstairs to my office to take care of the most unpleasant work of the day – reading the news and paying bills. I get sucked into social media and I’ll waste at least 45 minutes scrolling on Instagram and Facebook. It’s a necessary evil. Most artists I know post to IG regularly so it’s the best way to keep up with what everyone’s doing. Depending on what my commitments are for the day, I’ll either go out in the world, or head to the studio, which is much preferred.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ve always been a maker. When I was a kid, around seven I started building Aurora monster models like Frankenstein and Dracula. And all kinds of airplanes and cars. That evolved into a lot of taking things apart to see how they worked. I guess they call it reverse engineering now. I explored woodworking, electronics, chemistry, photography, Super 8 filmmaking.
They didn’t have a diagnosis for it at the time, but it turns out I’ve been ADHD my whole life. I guess that’s why I could never stick with one thing for any length of time. I was curious about so many things and have dabbled in everything that interested me. When that got boring I’d move on to something else.
That’s translated into my art practice because I do some of everything – sculpture, painting, photography, installation, filmmaking. I really respect my fellow artist, particularly painters, who can push one idea for years but keep it fresh. I’d go bonkers.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Learning to ride a bike. I was around eight and had tried to learn a couple of times, but always crashed. One saturday afternoon I was playing with some neighbor kids and got on one of their bikes and started wheeling down the sidewalk. I built up enough speed and momentum that I took my feet off the ground and put them on the pedals. The started turning the pedals. And all of a sudden I was riding a bike. That feeling of exhilaration and freedom was sublime. I had just learned the power of two-wheeled transportation.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Abandonment issues. I was an only child raised by a single mom who had to work two jobs for us to get by. I was on my own so much of the time I had to learn how to take care of myself. Entertain myself. I was sad when she wasn’t around a lot, but I developed a rich imaginary life to get through it all. That’s where my curiosity really took off. I created all kinds of narratives with my toys, which must have led to my interest in storytelling and filmmaking. Since then I’ve mostly been a lone wolf. That’s what enables me to be an artist. Alone in the studio entertaining myself making things.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Authenticity. I’m fortunate enough to have lived through some of the most interesting times of the 20th and 21st centuries. I’ve seen and experienced tectonic shifts in the culture as they were happening. The original The genuine. I find so little to be authentic today. Everybody’s head is bent down staring into their devices. Vicarious experience via ones and zeros. We live in a simulacrum of what I knew as reality. And that idea plays into my work in a large way.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
What I was born to do. I think all serious artists are.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.btjart.com
- Instagram: @btjphoto
- Other: email: [email protected]
