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Brianna Noble is an able bodied Black, Latinx surviving in a predominantly white community. Their paintings serve as a reaction to the assumptions their environment enforces. That often requires rejecting what society and their family imposes. How Noble performs womanhood is determined solely by what they find to be fit. Noble uses the idea that sex sells, so the viewers will be driven to look, then adds words so they will be driven to read, and be given more information to understand that women are human, not just objects for consumption. In turn, Noble hopes that the next person with similar decisions to make can find the familiarity to do so on their terms too.
Published on February 14th 2021. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What hurdles have you overcome this year and how have they affected your art practice?
My biggest hurdle has been my mental health. It is insane what we have to live with and still pretend to be normal. I've given in to my emotions and have decided to feel them, they've helped me let go of rigidity that I occasionally bring to my practice. It always has to do with a story or serving a purpose. I’m getting to a point where I just create what I want to see. For as long as I have been working in the way I do, I have wanted to try to create without giving it meaning. That seems like a simple thing to do, but it’s actually difficult for me. Time has been a stressor that I’ve put on myself, I can’t repeat myself, can’t mess up and start again, can’t make anything that looks similar to the previous, I don’t have time for that. It seemed that everyone else in the art world was established in the way they work so I thought I had to catch up and then keep up. Working in this lax way has given me the opportunity to just see what happens when I let go. It’s been rewarding so far.
How has your art practice been affected by the pandemic?
It's given me time. I occasionally feel like I take it for granted because of how many days I don't work on my art. It is a gift in vast chaos. I came up with a series toward the end of 2019 that I wasn’t sure when I’d ever be able to get to work on it. I was working 40+ hours and didn’t see a break in sight. I’m so grateful to be relieved of that. Eventually, I’ll likely have to go back to that, but in the meantime, I try to take advantage of this seemingly endless nothingness. As for context, my work may seem like it’s a reflection to this moment in time, but it isn't. A lot of the depictions are of the figure lounging or doing mundane activities, but they serve a different purpose that was planned in September 2019. I’m just now able to execute it.
What support systems have you put in place to help keep your practice thriving amidst these unforeseeable circumstances?
For the first time, I have a therapist that helps keep me calm and in check. Honestly, being out of a job and using state-paid insurance has finally given me the opportunity to seek help, and for free. Along with them, I have a few close family and friends who are my community. If I don’t call them, I can count on them to call me. My community is the most important support. They don’t pressure me, but they hold me accountable and follow up. Even if we weren’t living through a pandemic, they would be here for me in the way they are now. As a community, we make sure to share laughter. That’s all we really can do. Make sure everyone has eaten, and supply each other with anything comical we come across because we don’t need to share any more reminders of how hard the world is to live through. So long as my support system is here, I can feel at ease to work on myself and my art.
What methods do you employ to stay resilient in your art practice? What tips would you recommend to other artists who find staying resilient difficult?
The most important method I have had to learn is forgiveness. I can’t be mad at myself for not being motivated or slacking. All I can do is be kind to myself, and try again later. Holding onto being mad or upset with myself, even forcing myself to work when I don’t have the energy to, shows in my paintings. I end up messing up things that I think I’m improving; or neglecting things I meant to add. I don’t put much emotion into my work, so painting when I’m upset or feeling down doesn’t spark anything in me, I also don’t want to capture that negativity for the long term in a painting. It’s best to just give it a rest and come back with fresh eyes and an open mind. That works for me, at least. When I try to work through that rut, I either stare at them to see what I can work on in order to have a plan the next time I feel up to it, or I work on things that don’t require much effort to get the ball rolling.
What have you learned about yourself as an artist this year?
It doesn’t matter what’s happening around me, I’ll still find a way to create. There have been times that I totally want to give up making art and live a more simple life. Times where I hate all of my ideas; I still find a way to create and end up enjoying it. I’ve learned that I was really meant to be an artist and there isn’t one way to be that. There’s so many stereotypes that I think I should live up to, so many accomplishments it seems like I should have because so many other people have them. Forcing those things on myself just isn’t working for me so I’ve been taking time to think about what I want and let go of all of the goals no one is even telling me to have. I've also learned that my path isn't restricted to painting. I can still create meaningful work without it being what I am used to, I just have to start putting in the effort to make it grow.
What hurdles have you overcome this year and how have they affected your art practice?
My biggest hurdle has been my mental health. It is insane what we have to live with and still pretend to be normal. I've given in to my emotions and have decided to feel them, they've helped me let go of rigidity that I occasionally bring to my practice. It always has to do with a story or serving a purpose. I’m getting to a point where I just create what I want to see. For as long as I have been working in the way I do, I have wanted to try to create without giving it meaning. That seems like a simple thing to do, but it’s actually difficult for me. Time has been a stressor that I’ve put on myself, I can’t repeat myself, can’t mess up and start again, can’t make anything that looks similar to the previous, I don’t have time for that. It seemed that everyone else in the art world was established in the way they work so I thought I had to catch up and then keep up. Working in this lax way has given me the opportunity to just see what happens when I let go. It’s been rewarding so far.
How has your art practice been affected by the pandemic?
It's given me time. I occasionally feel like I take it for granted because of how many days I don't work on my art. It is a gift in vast chaos. I came up with a series toward the end of 2019 that I wasn’t sure when I’d ever be able to get to work on it. I was working 40+ hours and didn’t see a break in sight. I’m so grateful to be relieved of that. Eventually, I’ll likely have to go back to that, but in the meantime, I try to take advantage of this seemingly endless nothingness. As for context, my work may seem like it’s a reflection to this moment in time, but it isn't. A lot of the depictions are of the figure lounging or doing mundane activities, but they serve a different purpose that was planned in September 2019. I’m just now able to execute it.
What support systems have you put in place to help keep your practice thriving amidst these unforeseeable circumstances?
For the first time, I have a therapist that helps keep me calm and in check. Honestly, being out of a job and using state-paid insurance has finally given me the opportunity to seek help, and for free. Along with them, I have a few close family and friends who are my community. If I don’t call them, I can count on them to call me. My community is the most important support. They don’t pressure me, but they hold me accountable and follow up. Even if we weren’t living through a pandemic, they would be here for me in the way they are now. As a community, we make sure to share laughter. That’s all we really can do. Make sure everyone has eaten, and supply each other with anything comical we come across because we don’t need to share any more reminders of how hard the world is to live through. So long as my support system is here, I can feel at ease to work on myself and my art.
What methods do you employ to stay resilient in your art practice? What tips would you recommend to other artists who find staying resilient difficult?
The most important method I have had to learn is forgiveness. I can’t be mad at myself for not being motivated or slacking. All I can do is be kind to myself, and try again later. Holding onto being mad or upset with myself, even forcing myself to work when I don’t have the energy to, shows in my paintings. I end up messing up things that I think I’m improving; or neglecting things I meant to add. I don’t put much emotion into my work, so painting when I’m upset or feeling down doesn’t spark anything in me, I also don’t want to capture that negativity for the long term in a painting. It’s best to just give it a rest and come back with fresh eyes and an open mind. That works for me, at least. When I try to work through that rut, I either stare at them to see what I can work on in order to have a plan the next time I feel up to it, or I work on things that don’t require much effort to get the ball rolling.
What have you learned about yourself as an artist this year?
It doesn’t matter what’s happening around me, I’ll still find a way to create. There have been times that I totally want to give up making art and live a more simple life. Times where I hate all of my ideas; I still find a way to create and end up enjoying it. I’ve learned that I was really meant to be an artist and there isn’t one way to be that. There’s so many stereotypes that I think I should live up to, so many accomplishments it seems like I should have because so many other people have them. Forcing those things on myself just isn’t working for me so I’ve been taking time to think about what I want and let go of all of the goals no one is even telling me to have. I've also learned that my path isn't restricted to painting. I can still create meaningful work without it being what I am used to, I just have to start putting in the effort to make it grow.
Find Brianna Noble on Instagram
