Brittany M. Reid Interview
Brittany M. Reid | @paper.heart.gallery
Tell Us A Bit About Yourself. Who You Are, Where You're From, And What You Do!
My name is Brittany M. Reid and I am an artist, a mother, and a decent gardener, among many other things. Creatively, I am a mixed media artist born and raised in Rochester, NY who works primarily in analog collage. I have started incorporating resin work into my pieces which has been so exciting for me. My journey as an artist this year has been a whirlwind. At the start of this year, I set out a goal to make 10 collages, and then maybe start an IG account. Fast forward to the end of 2020 and I've made close to 150 pieces and published a book. There are days when all I can think about is getting started on my next piece. It's a full-fledged love affair.
I lead the #blackcollagesmatter movement which started this summer. What started as a call to artists has blossomed into a somewhat niche movement focused on creating and selling Blackcentric collage art to increase representation, share Black experiences, and fundraise for various organizations. I've gotten to link up with some really talented individuals (such as yourself) on projects that challenge me as an artist.
I live with my daughter, husband, cat, and many houseplants. I am a Gemini sun, Aries moon, and Capricorn rising and at any given moment you can probably find me listening to vaporwave.
How Did You Get Your Start As An Artist?
I have always seen myself as being creative. As I mentioned, I'm a Gemini and we tend to dabble. I studied commercial art and ceramics in high school. I worked in pastels and charcoals for awhile when I studied fine art as an undergrad. Then settled on photography and acrylics for a long time. Collage was never something anyone ever taught me, though. My decision to work within that medium was heavily influenced by the local collage community that I found on social media. Once I got sucked into that rabbit hole and saw all the pieces that were being created, I was really inspired to create some of my own.
What Do You Love Most About What You Do?
I'm taking bits and pieces of something that already exists and breathing new life into it. I've always said if you gave 10 people the same materials to collage with you would get 10 different pieces. I love that. I love seeing how my own experiences, energy, and style shine through each piece.
What Do You Find The Most Challenging?
Life has an ebb and flow. Our energy waxes and wanes. Some weeks I produce 5 pieces, some weeks it's 1 or 2. It's taken me a while to accept that. Not all my work will be strong and I won't always have the time to produce. I'm a mother, I work a 9-5 and I'm trying to survive in a pandemic. Each one of those on its own is a perfectly valid reason to sit down and take a break. When I get to the point where I feel like I'm creating for the sake I'm saying I did something that's when I know it's time to give my brain a rest. I never want something I love as much as art to become a burden or a hardship.
When Things Get Tough, Where Do You Find The Inspiration To Keep Moving Forward?
It's so important for me to set goals. Each month I sit down and figure out where I want to be my month's end - How many pieces do I want to complete? How many open calls do I want to submit to? How do I want to engage more with my followers? How many copies of my book do I want to sell? Going back to this helps keep things in perspective.
And of course, music. I'm listening to music pretty much any time I'm doing anything (except sleeping). I'm uncomfortable with silence. It feels lonely to me and music helps me visualize things and create stories in my mind that then come out in my work.
Who Is Someone You Admire Most And Why?
All the mothers trying to make it work during this pandemic. This year has been so cruel, but to be a mother caring for your child(ren) and trying to manage your career it has been an abject horror. There have been so many times where I sit at my laptop and read about the experiences of other mothers who have no child care and work full-time and I think, "How is this happening?" I can't even say I'm necessarily in the same boat because I'm lucky enough to work from home, but that is not a luxury everyone has. So many mothers have had to give up on their careers or put them on hold for the sake of their children's survival. Women caregivers sacrifice so much even in the best of times and this feels like the first year where we are really starting to acknowledge the emotional labor that carries.
Tell Me Something Unusual That Makes You Happy.
I love when the weather is above 85 degrees and I like it really humid. For the average person in this country, these are really uncomfortable conditions, but I love feeling like I'm in a greenhouse. Watching my garden flourish and feeling the heat on my skin...there's nothing else like it. There's so much life in the wet heat of the summer - insects and plants are in full force and I think my appreciation for that time of year comes out in my work.
“I’m taking bits and pieces of something that already exists and breathing new life into it. I’ve always said if you gave 10 people the same materials to collage with you would get 10 different pieces. I love that. I love seeing how my own experiences, energy, and style shine through each piece.”
— Brittany M. Reid, Collage Artist
Anything Weird On Your Bucket List?
Oh absolutely. And to be clear, to answer this question I actually opened up my Bucket List because it does exist in the project management software I use. The weirdest thing on there is "Have glamour shots taken". I'm so entranced with that 80's aesthetic of hazy, diffused light and bold makeup. It's such a specific look that it's like gazing at someone trapped in amber. I have really fond memories of my early childhood during the 80s and 90s, but I find myself always thinking about what it must've been like as an adult to live through that time.
Top Three Songs You Keep On Repeat?
Cop Car by Mitski
Pop Life by Prince
Why are you like this by TVVIN_PINEZ_M4LL ft. death's dynamic shroud.wmv
Podcast You Can’t Get Enough Of?
The Daily from The New York Times
How Do You Fuel For The Day?
This is where I'm supposed to tell you about my favorite coffee, but I don't like coffee at all. My mornings usually consist of kombucha, a good weight lifting session, and a scalding hot shower before I'm ready to attack my to-do list.
“I want to keep pushing myself. If I feel uncomfortable, if I’m learning new things and making mistakes then I know I’m growing.”
— Brittany M. Reid, Collage Artist
Tell Us About Your Vision For The Future? Go Big! We Want To Root You On!
"What DON'T you want to do?" would be an easier question to answer! I want to publish another book filled with art of only BIPOC artists. I want to bring more Black art into everyone's lives. I want to get more involved with local artists. I want to be able to live off of my art and fully immerse myself in my creativity while providing for my family and I know I can do it. It's just a matter of time, determination, and faith in my own abilities. But let me scale it back a little. As far as 2021 goals I want to have my own exhibition. This is something I've had my eye on for a long time. And the next big goal for next year is to have my art on the cover of an album. I'm deeply influenced by music and always have been. Many of the titles of my pieces are actually song lyrics and what I'm listening to will often have a major impact on the direction I decide to take a piece. I've always had the notion that my art should be paired with music.
Overall, I want to keep pushing myself. If I feel uncomfortable, if I'm learning new things and making mistakes then I know I'm growing.
Brittany M. Reid | @paper.heart.gallery
Collage Artist | Rochester, NY
www.paperheartgallery.com
