_{Image courtesy of Brooke Emmet}

Interview: Brooke Emmett
Luca Curci talks with Brooke Emmett during THE BODY LANGUAGE 2019 at Misericordia Archives.
Brooke Emmett is a California-based digital illustrator. She’s been creating for as long as she can remember, and uses her daydreams, personal experiences, and emotions to create vividly weird works.

_{Image courtesy of Brooke Emmet}

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Brooke Emmett – To me, art is simply expression of emotion. Whether that sentiment is expressed through movement, facial expression, color, etc. is entirely subjective and yet still incredibly powerful.

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
BE – I’m actually fairly new to creating art in a meaningful, significant way. I’ve always drawn and doodled but I couldn’t put any power behind it. One day, fairly recently, I was drawing shapes from lines and it just clicked. I added color and emotion and the first of my Color series, Blue, was born. My biggest influence was simply life and the sentiments that came with it. The death of a dear friend, a new chapter of life, and a big move were huge factors in shaping my feelings and style.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
BE – The most challenging part of creating was finding meaning in it. I didn’t quite realize all work is subjective and has meaning in any and every way, so I was struggling with self-doubt and a “this isn’t quite good enough” mentality. I was also rejecting the depressive emotions that came from traumatic life events and even bad events from day-to-day life. When I stopped denying myself and accepted that how I was feeling was normal and important to express, I was able to actualize them into art.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
BE – My style changed in many small ways. Once on paper, now my work resides in mostly digital spaces. I also now focus more on smooth lines and abstract skin tones than normal “lifelike” features.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the festival?
BE – I do agree with it, and I think “Body Language” is such an important characteristic to pay attention to. To truly know what emotion someone is experiencing, you must look at how their body is responding to it. Many times, ones’ body language isn’t obvious to themselves, and so it is the biggest way to reveal how they truly feel.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the festival’s theme?
BE – My artwork was connected to the festival’s theme in that she (Pink) is reacting to love. Her hands surround the arrow in her chest and she is expressing emotion through that visual communication.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
BE – I think ITSLIQUID is a great platform for artists (especially young) to get exposure and participate in amazing international show. I’m so thankful to be apart of it.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
BE – I do think ITSLIQUID presents an amazing opportunity for artists. Being an American and a young artist, I never dreamed I would have my work in an international show (at least not so soon). It’s not only given me confidence and great exposure to people in other countries, but has also given me pride in my work and myself that I could be apart of something so great.