Meet Jared Brown | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jared Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jared, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I don’t think you’d know it from my work, but I’m a perfectionist. You wouldn’t know it because if I listened to my inner perfectionist I would just give up and never make anything. Obviously you have to have a certain amount of persistence to overcome obstacles, but one of the most important things I’ve learned is to trust your intuition while staying true to yourself…and that means knowing when NOT to overcome obstacles but to avoid them. Intuition helps me know what is a dealbreaker for me. Working with spray paint and stencils might be dealbreakers for me, but if Banksy felt that way he wouldn’t be Banksy. When you figure out enough of your dealbreakers, you will know your artistic voice. It’s like that famous quote about Michaelango chiseling away all the rock that isn’t David.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love bright colors and crisp linework, and I mostly tend to paint bright abstract paintings that feature those elements. I’m also passionate about things that are weird, unique, and authentic, so I’m always trying to imbue my work with those qualities. I really try not to share or release a work unless I’m satisfied that it has a soul. That doesn’t mean I love everything I’ve ever made–I cringe at some old work if I see it again, but at least I know that I was happy enough with it at some point to let it out into the world. The “soul” part is so hard to define, but I think it’s a certain kind of weight or sum that feels appropriately balanced. The soul of a song might consist of the instruments used, the beat, the key, the lyrics, the duration…all these elements and how they are combined. For my paintings, the elements include things like colors, line, pattern, symbols, language.
A certain intricacy of labor is also a crucial element to me for some reason. I’m not sure why, but it seems like I have to expend a certain amount of un-necessary effort. I tend to make things that mimic machine-made mass production when in fact they’re quite intricately done by hand. My work tends to have a lot of inside jokes like that. I’m super grateful whenever I find an appreciative audience for my work because I know it’s not always the most user friendly. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to make work that makes me feel the same way I feel when I experience my favorite works of art.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Athens for about 26 years now. A lot of great places have come and gone in that span, but there are still too many excellent choices to name them all. A few of my favorite things to do are:

Browsing endlessly in Bizarro Wuxtry, Junk in the Trunk, Starlite Showroom, and the J&J Flea Market
Checking out the art at the Lyndon House Arts Center and the Georgia Museum of Art
Grabbing a bite at White Tiger, Cali N Titos, or Automatic Pizza
Having a drink at Flicker, Manhattan, or Buvez
Seeing a band at the 40 watt or Georgia Theatre or catching a whole mess of bands at AthFest
Taking in a movie at Ciné
Visiting the animals at Bear Hollow Zoo
Going for a walk around Boulevard
Attending Fluke Mini-Comics Festival

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife, Hillary, is my best friend and favorite human of all time. I really appreciate all the help and support she’s given me over the years on top of the love and wonderful experiences we’ve shared. She’s also a phenomenal writer, editor, advocate, and mother.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aredjay