Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Brooks.
Hi Julie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was making art before I could read. I witnessed a great deal of family dysfunction and emotional trauma as a child. Art helped me pass the time in an environment where other children were not allowed and adults were frequently totally distracted by their own strife, selfish motives and pain. I did well in college, until the lack of family support and emotional scarring caught up with me and I dropped out.
Decades later, as a displaced survivor of domestic violence, I had to find a way to finance joint custody across state lines visits. I returned to college to earn my BFA and an MFA in Ceramics. I worked for museums, galleries and in a community ceramics studio during school and was recruited by a gallery in California before graduation. Eventually I obtained work in the ceramic supply industry and participated as much as I could in the local art scene.
Moving to San Diego County has opened up many new opportunities to show art. I enjoy offering my skills and time to the Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League. It is an art nonprofit started by artists in 1951. It is satisfying to help with programs that offer a range of opportunities for artists to grow their skills. The best part is making art available to the community, as a part of everyday life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My birth family could only offer limited support and with that was the risk of being again trapped in an abusive dynamic. After years of allowing others to devalue me, I had to find ways to heal, obtain emotional stability and build a healthy life. It took a lot of effort, time and financial investment. I had to allow people to help me. Learning to trust the process and the people who were willing to help me has been a steep curve.
Correct information about family dysfunction and domestic violence is not readily available in this society. It leaves people to judge victims, remain silent when they have witnessed abuse, expect survivors to recover from decades of abuse with a bottle of pills and few weeks of counseling. If I am honest with others about what I have experienced, they often have no healthy way to process it and respond, so, many relationships are distinctly shallow.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create contemporary sculpture using traditional clay hand building techniques. I exert a great deal of skill in creating my desired aesthetic while maintaining the physical integrity of each piece, both form and surface. Pieces are infused with references to contemporary and historical culture, word play and environmental concerns. Lately, I have focused on a series of large scale, stylized domestic cats. In 2024, my cat “Fancy Pants” won first in the ceramics division at the San Diego County Fair. It is amazing to receive that kind of recognition from judges in my own field.
It is a challenge to create art with depth that is also readily accessible across society and culture. The playfulness in my pieces is frequently mistaken for whimsy or sentimentality-usually I am just exploring the consequences of our self obsessed, tech burdened culture. It is most rewarding when viewers respond to my stylized forms as they would to a living being. The presence my pieces have invite my audience explore visually, to inject their own narrative, to install themselves in the work.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Google. Google is fabulous for visual reference. I have read and studied a lot of spiritual writings. I listen to music by talented musicians.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: juliebrooksclay
Image Credits
Julie Brooks
