Words Jesse Holth
Photo Sarah Hartley Photography
Kathleen Brophy is a young local artist – we chatted about vulnerability, healing, and what it means to be human.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Kathleen Brophy, and I am 18 years old and finishing my last year of high school at Brentwood College School in Mill Bay. I have received early acceptance to three universities: University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus, University of Toronto St. George Campus, and The University of Edinburgh. I currently live in Sidney, but I was born in California. My dad was in the military, and I moved many times in my childhood. I am a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, and I have lived in various places such as Kansas, Yellowknife, Toronto and Calgary.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process is rather spontaneous. I often go for a long period of time without having an art idea, and then all of a sudden, something will pop into my head. I also never pre-plan my works. Some artists do many sketches before starting a piece, but I will get an idea and then simply begin – doing my rough draft(s) on the canvas/paper itself – and I discover things along the way as I go. I rarely do a mini sketch out of the blue for fun. I am inspired to create when there is something in my head trapped or swirling around in there that I simply have to get out, even if I do not know consciously what it really means.
You called your work emotionally accurate but not realistic – can you explain?
When I say that, I am talking about my tendency to put more emphasis on the emotions and powerfulness of the art rather than the visual “realistic-ness.” The skin tone may not be exact, the shading may not be like that of a photograph, and the hair – which I particularly struggle with – may not be perfectly realistic. But for me, it is more important to create a powerful and emotional image than a realistic one. What my work lacks in realism, I hope it makes up for in the sadness in the eyes, the struggle in the position, the intensity of the image itself. That is what matters the most to me.
What are some of the challenges of working in different mediums?
Every medium definitely has some challenges. Even graphite pencil and coloured pencil, which are my two favourite mediums, have their struggles. Graphite pencil smudges very easily, and coloured pencil is a very light medium, making it harder to add intense colour. Paint is a struggle for me because pencil is such a fine-pointed tool to work with, whereas having a large brush-head has always been a bit more difficult for me. Oil pastel is a lovely medium, though it is more difficult to do detail with. I have found sculpture to be very challenging for me because I like to make elaborate expressions and gestures in my work, and in the past when I have tried to do that in a sculpture format, it often cannot hold up its own weight. There are also conceptual challenges, particularly the idea that pencil is a less finished medium, or a medium used as a precursor to a painting rather than the actual piece.
You’ve said vulnerability is strength. How does vulnerability help us grow?
By being vulnerable, you are stronger than you would be if you were trying to be tough – I say this because being vulnerable is scary. It is showing our more tender side to those around us and hoping it doesn’t get hurt. When you are trying to be tough and strong, you are hiding that tenderness. You are trying to cover it up, which in turn, bottles up your emotions. If you are vulnerable, you are being honest and open. Not only are you facing your fears, but it builds real armour instead of fake armour. It helps you to grow into a more resilient person because you were open and raw and real, and you are still here and okay.
Why is it important to share yourself through art? What do you hope to convey to the viewer?
The idea of vulnerability being strength is something I truly believe, and part of the reason why I share my art is to help strengthen myself by being tender and raw and human, which in a world of technology, is so important. I want to share my art to heal myself, but also because I hope to inspire those around me to do the same. I hope that by making visually emotive and powerful images, I can force my viewer to stop and stare at my work, making them feel and think deeply … which in itself is my goal. To think and feel is so important in a world of automation and people existing instead of living. I also hope that my vulnerability and honesty about who I am and what I am thinking and going through will encourage others to think about their own struggles – and how they can work through, process, and heal them by being vulnerable, or just thinking deeply about their truth rather than bottling it.
You said what artists do in the world is use their voice – to present an idea, to question things, to inspire people. What are you trying to achieve?
There is sometimes the idea that artists do not have real jobs, but that simply is not true. Artists have the most important jobs of all, because in a world that runs on deadlines and money and work and automation, artists of all kinds, from filmmakers to musicians to visual artists like me, are the voice that tells people to stop running and sit and think and experience the moment, and to remind them of what is going on both in themselves and in the world around them. My goal is to make people stop and consider themselves, what is in their hearts, what the root of their pain is, and who they are as a person. My goal is to inspire them to heal and work through themselves, and to remind them that they are human, and that humans make mistakes and deserve attention, love, and time to consider, think and feel.
If we want to make real change around us, we have to start in the closest thing to us – our hearts, and mending the cracks there before we mend the cracks in the world.
Find Kathleen on Instagram @Katbro—art.
