jeffrey equality brooks
BEWARE OF THOUGHTS THAT ARE NOT YOUR OWN

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N Front St, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Opening Reception: Fri, Feb 24th, 2023 at 5pm-8pm
Closing Reception: Fri, April 21st, 2023 at 5pm-8pm
Runs Feb 24th - April 21st

contemporary figurative paintings working in stencils, sprayed automotive paints, broken glass, sand, resin, enamel, vinyl, metal flake, 3D elements, flocking, 24k gold, silver, and copper leaf

I’m thrilled to bring this body of work to Harrisburg, PA . This body of paintings includes pieces that I’ve been working on for the last three years. Those that haven’t seen my paintings might be bewildered to hear that they are mostly built up from spraying automotive paints with mega-detailed cut one-time-use stencils. And in this artwork you’ll also see paint mixed with silica, 24k gold and copper leaf, broken glass, cut and layered strips of transparent vinyl, brushed enamel, stacks of resin, and of course you’ll see my obvious love affair with hot rod paints with oodles of metal flakes and candied paints. You can click into any of these images to get more info about materials and sizes as well as more detailed photos. To purchase contact the gallery or I can put you in touch directly.

Before i show you this work i’d like to say, in short, my goal is to produce compulsively “lookable” paintings that make you say “shit i’ve felt like that.” My work at its core has this goal, and remind us to beware of thoughts that are not your own.

These three are the start of a new series and are 24x24x2.5 inches on cradled aluminum. Painted on aluminum, all layers’ colors are either cut strips of transparent vinyl or “candies” (as folks in the auto paint world call these special transparent paints). Each Layer of paint or vinyl is then stacked between another layer of thick-poured resin. If you click here you can see how “ghost-in-the-machine”, an early piece in the same series was created. There is a video showing part of the unique process i created to make these pieces

The goal of these pieces is to discuss how vantage points and perspectives relate to understanding.

NEVER trust a man without a horror story
YOU EVER FEEL CHEATED
PAST THE POINT OF CARING

These are two of the seven halos created for this series and are 40”x40”. This series is built off a pearled and aluminum paint base that was hit with a metal flake. Subsequent layers (oh, which there are a ton of) are transparent or “candies”, this again affords the viewer a chance to peer into the paint to see the sparkle below. Halos are 24k gold and copper, then the pieces are finished off with an automotive clear coat, which I think looks awesome, but it’s pretty hard to photograph. Here (link ) is a super small video of how I make these paintings.

The topic of the paintings in my halo series focuses on the difficult necessity of active choice when moving from generational beliefs and traditions. All the while, completely acknowledging that I’m relying on arcane visual language to add gravitas.

let the bridges we burn light our way
if you choose to fail us now we will never forgive you

LOST is one of two paintings in a mini-series both 40x40x1.5-inch paintings on stretched canvas. The other painting (now sold) is called “SAFE”. These words have a draw for me and I have liked them paired since I heard a CD of this title. These have a super subtle flake to them and are built on a ground coat of pearls. The “blacks” are a flat finish but have silica mixed into them that give a really exciting lifted texture to such a flat graphic part of the paintings.

This series of paintings is playing with two-color reductions, in this rule of simplification I was able to try some pretty fun and rich materials.

Stacey: is built on a glossy aluminum base paint with a simple matte purple. (24”x24”)
I’M THE PART OF YOU, YOU CANT CONTROL: For this one i sprayed a gradient splitting the composition diagonally, then laid in the darkest features in a royal purple, this painting also employs silica in the background grey color that gives massive texture. (24”x24”)
PAIN IS NOT A FACTOR: is a 12”x12” painting that is built of red and a dark rose over black.
Emily in blue: is a painting and perhaps the “quietest” painting i’m showing in this body. i feel it has a tranquil feeling in both palette and pose. (24”x24”)

In this set i was focused on moving my palette away from “true to life skin tones” while still keeping the number of colors somewhat reduced. Topically, in simplest terms, these have a focus on how we deal with social expectations. (all are 24”x24” stretched canvas)

AND IT'S A SIN TO LIVE SO WELL: is building on the idea of flakes and opaques back and forth.
can we admit some lies we've told each other: this painting was shown at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. Built off a silver base then layered with pearled, metal flake, transparent vinyl, and candied automotive paints. It’s topped with a flat black and silica-laden layer that gives textures that you want to touch so badly…but please don’t. ;)
It’s about control: also features a reduced palette and a strong focus on verticals.
LETS LIVE THE WAY WE WANTED AND HOPE THEY GO AWAY: Features a wonderful pearled gradient and experiments with pattern.

I like these two pieces next to each other, there is a kind of head tilt and supple expression they share that exudes an honesty that only comes from an unguarded moment. It’s the moment between poses, between hardening our look and putting on our city face that is where magic and connection happens. The text lets you in as i focus again on the feeling we all have but rarely discuss in this world; big mouth and no hearts. (both are 24”x24” on stretched canvas)

we’re scared then we’re brave
don’t talk sense to my sparkling heart

This might be a nice place to mention that with all but one very obvious exception (yet to come) these photos are folks I know or have met personally, 99.99 percent of the time I work from my own photo sources. Sometimes the person is a family member or fellow artist and sometimes they are just a cool person I met on a train, as is the case of the model for Sonder.

Sonder : is defined as "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own".
(24”x24” on stretched canvas)
Some nights she is a pharmacist: Often the music I’m listening to finds its way into the paintings I’m planning. This is one such piece; I heard the line, I imagined the image, and went right to painting. (40”x40” on stretched canvas )
I WANT TO SEE YOU LOSE CONTROL: perhaps ironically is loaded with pearls, flakes, candies, and silica. Making it is a piece that took a ton of control to make and at the same time the expression of my friend here, just seemed to be softly pushing and daring to enjoy the moment of a loosened grip. (24”x24” on stretched canvas)
Carina in vinyl: is painted very differently than most of these, the only ‘real’ paint is the background color and the clear medium holding the layers of vinyl together. This marked a pretty important step to becoming the painter i am currently and pushed definitions of what it meant to be a painter for me.

Again these 2 are reflecting on navigating life as an introspective human in perhaps the loudest moment in human history.

Be Polite, Say Something Vague: is a fun one with its flakes only visible through thick, lifted but narrow slits of pearl paints and topped with a layer of flocking to make the lettering. If you’re not familiar with flocking, think fuzzy insides of jewelry boxes. (24”x24” on cradled board )
i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry if i hurt anyone”: The chatter comes at night to most of us i suspect and i hope the title says it all. While most portrait painters will tell you every painting is a self-portrait this one is both literally and figuratively. And as i was feeling pretty rough when i painted it the surface is thick and rough with texture.

This group of paintings have a more graphic look,

NORMAL: has a graphic that is painted so thick it seems to float above the silver textured background. (24”x24” on stretched canvas)
NORMAL: 40" remix - heavy emotional remix: i’ve done a few of these pills and i likely will continue to. i’m thinking about who gets to decide what is 'normal' and even a bit about questioning what types of people society needs right now may not be 'normal'. But I still wrestle with finding the balance between guys like k west telling bipolar kids to not take their meds (which I think is an awful idea ) and my fear that we are medicating the dreamers and inventors into "normals". These are my meditations as I make these paintings.
I WANT WHAT’S YOURS: is me looking at the figure and breaking it down in a different way than most of my other work but still pushing it to abstraction. i wanted to talk as quietly as i could about a couple of ideas in both design and changing social norms (24”x24” on stretched canvas)
SOME SETTLING MAY OCCUR: once again, like all the work at varying levels, photography doesn’t really tell you the story of this piece. This whole painting has a glowing sheen of candied paint over a reflective base that is a treat to invite the viewer to look a little closer while the metaphor slowly creeps in. (24”x24” on stretched canvas)
AND SILVER BUTTONS ALL DOWN HER BACK: was a goal to once again abstract the figure, this time as if Saul Bass had painted it. And then to make the render interesting to me and my material fetish I used flocking for the shape of the corsets and the letters were created by cutting thin sheets of aluminum, stacking and painting them with a purple candy. Are you reciting the nursery rhyme yet? (24”x24” on stretched canvas)
Elvis: this is the one piece in the show that uses someone else’s image as source, and is my nod to Andy Warhol’s and Jeff Koons’ Elvis pieces. It’s built on an aluminum and pearl white painted base and then I sprayed broken glass on the figures before coating super thick layers of resin and transparent vinyl. (32” x 20” x 2” on cradled board )
Cap'n Hop: is perhaps the outwardly most silly piece painting i’m showing in this show and is my thoughts on the current climate of lifting someone else’s, or corp’s intellectual property and how i feel it diminishes not just the other artists in question and not just the idea of art itself, but also very much how i feel it diminishes the viewer and collector of art. Also, one of the three paintings that use flocking as a rendering material … please don’t pat the bunny :) .
As Much As I Can Get: is a small and subtle painting that looks simply like a safe, after all the films of seeing folks put safes behind paintings i thought it would be fun to make a painting that looked like a safe. ( feel free to put this in front of your wall safe :)

Ok, guys, that is what I’m showing for “beware of thoughts thoughts are not your own” at the Art Association of Harrisburg.
Every image is clickable for more detailed photos, material and size info and some even have short videos :) ! I hope you decide to come out and see the show in person. If you aren’t in the area and are looking to purchase one of these artworks please reach out to me or the gallery directly.