I’m going to tease Katie Bruun a bit and say that, to borrow and twist the famous Oscar Wilde quote about art and life, as a working mom of three kids her particular art reflects her life. In her collages she takes images from various media, moves them about, laying side by side, layering, pondering, exploring, but with a vision in mind until she can step back, look, and say okay, that works. In her life I’ve got to imagine the same going on—working, momming, spousing, with meals and making beds and laundry until, I hope, she’s able to step back, look, and say okay at the end of the day, that worked. As a parent whose kids were once young and lived at home, I really hope part of the process is sleep, that thing that knits up the sleeve of ravelled care. As someone somewhat new to collage art, I will say that her pieces have a whimsical, quirky, lovely, joyful quality. And as a former boy, I will say my favorite piece is the one where there’s a kid leapfrogging over a mountain under starry skies whilst the village below sleeps unaware. The look on his face is one of triumph and awe, and makes me giggle remembering my leaps over fire hydrants, my siblings, and probably the dog. Take a look at her pieces, read her replies to the 5Q4: Katie Bruun questions, and hopefully you’ll find reason to giggle. Giggling is good, we need more giggling.
At what moment did you discover that you wanted to be an artist?
I have always wanted to be an artist. My family has creative solid streaks and art is very much part of my family, but I never thought I would get to be an artist. I spent summers watching an aunt create paper dolls and watercolor scenes that fascinated me, a grandfather who carved blocks of wood into intricate scenes or funny faces, a grandmother who taught me to knit and how to create with fabric, both wool and cloth, and a sister in law who comes from a family of talented painters. My parents became photographers as their children became independent, my bedroom becoming a dark room. I married a musician. Creativity is strong in non-traditional art forms as well, with master gardeners creating lush scenes, or creating food to feed the family.
I wanted to be a writer as a child, but in college, I had more fun reading and discussing than writing, so I dropped it. Knitting became an expressive outlet, but I assumed I’d be someone who appreciated art but never produced it. It’s still hard to call myself I am.
Who was the most influential person who helped you achieve your goal?
My aunt has been studying and working with Coeleen Kiebert for a few decades, and she offered her house for “creative weekends” to learn more about Coeleen’s process. Part of the process is to collage, pulling together images and colors that you’re drawn to. I found it so meditative to build a larger picture from smaller ones, to combine two opposite stories to create something new. It unlocked something and I haven’t been able to stop cutting up and pasting things ever since.
Tell about the best—or a best—experience you had as an artist.
Getting to have people outside of my family see my work and enjoy it. Getting to have a show at Gruber’s Bazaar and have complete strangers see my work and enjoy it is something I never thought I’d get to experience.
Conversely, tell us about a pretty bad experience.
Anytime I can’t get an image right. It’s always frustrating to try and finalize an image and to have it be ruined. I work with old magazines, so if I ruin a picture it’s gone. (Scanning would help this, and then I’d have lots of these images but I haven’t done that yet). I have many failed collages but I try to remember each failed collage as a step closer to the really good project.
Any advice to folks out there hoping to pursue a life in the arts?
Don’t take you or anything too seriously. Are you enjoying it? Does it spark joy in your life? Then keep doing it. We need more art in this world, getting humans to think about life outside of our jobs and day to day. More art will make the world a much better place.
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
