February 2025 AIR: Bri Robinson
“Making multiple points of entry for viewers”
Hello Bri! We’re so excited to have you as our first resident of 2025! To kick things off, composition is such an important aspect of your collage work. Can you share what composition means to you in this context—what role does it play in both the visual and emotional impact of your pieces?
When I was a kid, my Grandma Janie and I would peruse through iSpy books and MagicEye pictures (stereographic images), for hours and I would struggle to understand exactly what I was looking at or looking for. Each of the pieces collected were meaningful and excited me, but I would gravitate to the tiniest details, and hold a deep curiosity of their original lives, like who owned them, what were they made for, how did they come to be in this collection. I was very aware from an early age that the things we touch are changed by how we meet them, and how we look at them.
In my personal practice, I believe this translates. I’m really interested in making multiple points of entry for viewers, but mostly myself as I’m speaking in codes through each object. I’ve found comfort in the use of repetition, whether that is repeating a motif like hands, or eyes, or literally repeating use of the image. The abundance of objects to see applies depth and layer to these stories of my own personal reflection. Composing these images requires me to think- and look- slowly and tenderly at what I’m making with, and who I’m making with in a sense.
You mentioned in your artist statement that you are “an amalgamation of everyone I’ve ever loved.” I’m intrigued by how this idea shapes your practice—do you find that it informs your materials, your processes, or the themes you explore in your work?
As I grow older, and my process evolves I am understanding more and more the significance of contact throughout my work and my life. I find myself fixated on confluence, or where moments meet one another and are then dispersed with new weight, so I’d certainly say that this idea that I’m made of other pieces of my loved ones informs my processes for sure.
Thematically, I’m working with the idea of these fragments as archival maps, though frequently abstract visually, and codified in a way that only I have the key to. As far as materials go, my works honor my lineages as I use old images, pieces of tangible material like hair, or garbage from loved ones, and adhere them together to create new contexts, new visions, synthesized from my experiences.
Color, texture, and layering are such dynamic elements in your art. Could you walk us through the process in your studio — how do you know when the piece feels complete?
My practice is heavily influenced by the relationship between people and the sensorial, particularly, between sight and sound. With that in mind, my practice visually has always been inspired by utility- the necessity to capture a moment, in order to better remember it once it's passed, and memory- how the moment resonates beyond its original landing point.
I’ve always loved music so my process typically looks like me vibing to a playlist I’ve made or maybe a record I’d listened to with my mother or father and then responding to the feelings or memories associated with it, and piecing that together through these found materials, or paper. I know when one of my works is finished, once the frenzy in my fingers has been reduced, I consider intuition and chance quite frequently throughout my process, so much of what I’m creating is influenced by a sensuous feeling of completion more than anything.
Another phrase from your application that really caught my attention was “lush contradiction of rebirth through decay.” How do you see this balance between decay and renewal playing out in your work?
As I frequently work with collected and found art materials, many of the pieces I create are absolutely reliant on the discarding or decayed material of my loved ones that I repurpose into new contexts of life. I’m obsessed with alchemy, and processes of transformation that quite literally force change. In my work, I begin through collection, followed by reflection and then application.
Outside of the studio, are there any podcasts, films, rituals, or artists that continue to fuel your creative practice? What sources of inspiration keep you excited to explore new ideas in your work?
I’m always listening to music. In the winter months I typically revisit albums that I listened to as a teenager, and try to understand my old angst, so I’ve been listening to things like Janelle Monae’s Archandroid, Solange’s True EP, and Toro Y Moi’s Underneath the Pine. I also have been listening to RAM by Paul and Linda McCartney a lot lately. My father recently put me on to Miles Davis’ Electric and Brutal, and I’m really interested in it, mostly struck by its title which I will likely apply to a new piece I’m working on. I adore music so I’m constantly listening and trying to understand these artists and their personal relationships. Artists that fuel my creative practice are mostly my good friends, Candace, Syd, Peja, Aidan, Jordan, Zoë, Talia and Alicia.
Beyond these folks I know, I’m reading AliceSparklyKat’s Horoscopes, reading a bunch of zines I got from Bulk Space, and Gerber Hart. I’m constantly thinking about Toni Morrison, and I’m revisiting Playing in the Dark. I’m looking to revisit Adam Pendleton’s Black Dada Reader and I recently read Renée Gladman’s My Lesbian Novel. Anything at the intersection of blackness/queerness/ technology piques my interest.
As far as rituals go, my dear friend Syd told me the benefits of living based upon Planetary days/hours and since I’ve applied that things have gone pretty smooth for me. That and calling my mother every Tuesday has situated me quite nicely lately.
I’m always inspired by how we relate to one another, and how those experiences are then synthesized. I'm very curious about metaphor and the poetic ways we as humans get to convey feelings that may be bigger than language to folks outside of our own heads. I think this process of excavation from the mind, into the body and then into the spirit is something that excites me and urges me to explore through my artistic practice.
Bri Robinson
Bri Robinson is a mixed media artist, analog collagist, sculpture artist, and historian who weaves intricate narratives of love, loss, and identity across the expansive Midwest. Raised in Ohio and now based in Chicago, Bri’s work reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the region, combining personal history with broader societal concepts. Brought up by a large, close-knit family, Bri draws inspiration from the everyday moments and memories that shape our lives, using images found in family photo albums, adult magazines, and personal portraits. Through their unique process of cutting, pasting, and layering, Bri deepens the meaning of these found objects, transforming them into evocative works of art.
Bri’s practice is deeply rooted in the exploration of identity, relationships, and the constant evolution of self. By merging archival materials with elements of popular culture, they create thought-provoking narratives that invite viewers to engage with the complexities of the queer experience. Through their work, Bri honors the past while also pushing the boundaries of contemporary art history, crafting pieces that are as introspective as they are expansive.