Visit the Studio with Brian Jerome

There is both chaos and order in the work of artist Brian Jerome. Jerome describes his work as taking over where words fail, a visual form of catharsis. Together, let’s take a look inside his studio and his practice and see what we find.

What materials do you use? And why?

I hate the term “mixed media.” I consider myself a painter. However, my materials are not limited to paint. I do use oil and acrylic. But I also use graphite, charcoal, oil stick, pastel, and crayon. I let my mediums call upon themselves. I have multiple carts on wheels that allow me to move and grab whatever I feel like the painting is telling me that it needs. I staple my unstretched canvas directly to a wall while working so there is not any give in the fabric. It allows me to be tactile.

My undergrad at Tyler University was in printmaking and I use part of that process when I stretch my finished painting canvases. The process of making a copper etching takes trial and error in order to achieve the contrast you want. Then when you ink the plate and lay paper down on it to then run through the press, there is a kind of anxiety that exists to see if it turns out the way you envision it. The same goes for when I stretch these paintings. I lay it face down on the floor and until I am done stretching, I have to believe what I worked on for months will be stretched successfully to my liking.

What is your artwork about? What does it speak to?

My artwork is a diary of sorts. I do not believe that my verbal language and vocabulary are sufficient to express how I internally feel. In the most trite summary, my work deals with the absurdity of the human condition in reflections and ruminations of loss, change, discomfort, depression, and frustration. There is love in there too. I think love and enjoyment of life comes from over fixating on the negative aspects of existence.

Cloud-like imagery shows up a lot. I tend to see them as a sense of catharsis. Rain, being a release of manifested emotions. But behind every rain cloud there is always a sunny sky –– hope. I also use a lot of hatch marks. That has a reference to time existing and time fleeting.

I am drawn to neutral colors, reds, and yellows. Yellows remind me of sickliness and nausea. Red of course could always allude to blood. I prefer neutral colors because I am not a “flashy” person and I want my work to reflect that. My paintings are meant to slow the viewer down –– forcing them to look at the complex layering that at first glance look simple.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Life. Simple as that. Witnessing and being a part of the universe and society. My work oddly and not so oddly has nods to landscapes –– it’s a mix of what I consider Jungian psychology and the 30 years of my life studying art, mixed with the fact that you see landscape every day.

I also listen to waltz music while I work. Something about the 3/3 tempo gets me.

What is your typical routine when you get to the studio? Walk us through a typical studio day.

I work late at night. It’s peaceful. I usually arrive at my studio around 9pm and stay until 2AM. I come in, lock up, and change my clothes. Then I set my laptop up and play music. I crack a beer and take time to look at the work I have previously started as well as work I've finished. If I am starting a new painting, I will then stretch a canvas on the wall and get my materials ready. I’ll pop outside for a breath of air and when I return, I begin working. I usually work on 4-6 paintings at a time. I’ve found if I'm struggling on one, the answer might be discovered while working on another.

Do you work at a particular size or scale? Why?

I love working large. There is something “spiritual” about it even though I am not a spiritual person –– in creating something larger than you. Something that a viewer is forced into the presence of.

I grew up working on paper and I still enjoy it. When I work on paper it is typically poster size, 11"x17"-ish. It’s my in-between time –– in-between large paintings on canvas. I guess it could be considered sketching, but I never remake them larger and consider them finished “drawings.”

What are you currently working on? Share with us what is exciting to you about this most recent work.

I had to leave my studio unexpectedly at the end of April 2020 during the quarantine in Philadelphia. I had nowhere to go, but I was lucky that a glass artist I knew allowed me to use his studio as storage. I just recently found a new studio in South Philadelphia and today is my first day painting in it after moving 200 paintings for 2 weeks. I am very excited to be letting the stress go and getting back to work.

Which artists most inspire you and your work?

To address the elephant in the room, I am influenced by Cy Twombly. However, I am not interested in his motifs or influences or even really him himself. I feel like he allowed for my crayon/tool box of languages. Monet would have been nothing without Renoir. Warhol would have been nothing without capitalism. I grew up heavily on Marvel comics in the 90s. I consider my work to be panels of some story that someone smarter than me will figure out. Basquiat and DuChamp are also huge influences. Ralph Steadman was my idol in my teens and early twenties.

Do you balance another job in addition to being an artist?

I am a trained chef and I consider cooking to be the “sculptor” side of my art career. I have been in the industry since I was 15 and worked myself up the ranks. I see food as colors and colors as flavors.

Do you have any current or upcoming exhibits? Please share!

Sadly, I do not. My fiancé and I bought a house in December, enjoyed the holiday, then COVID happened, then I lost my studio, then moved my studio. It’s been a lot, but I can't wait to get back on track.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this special peek into Brian's creative environment! Even in a virtual age, we encourage all budding collectors to take the time to connect with the artists you love directly.

We want to remind you of our awesome artist messaging feature directly on the Art in Res site –– reach out now and foster that creative energy! Have more questions for Brian on his art and practice? Follow up with him directly via our messenger. We know he’ll be thrilled to answer any questions you might have. Ask about a specific painting or about his specific process in general––either approach works!