Meet Brandin Hurley

We were lucky to catch up with Brandin Hurley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brandin, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

Unequivically from my parents. My mom, Kathy, is the kindest person I’ve ever met. Once, I called to say hi, only to discover that she was currently clearing out their guest room for the carpenter who was refinishing her cabinets. After hearing about his tough situation at home, she began immediately readying the room in case he needed a place to stay. This type of absolute and sincere generosity is a daily occurance for her. If someone she encounters needs help, she will be the one to give it. She is a remarkable person with an abundance of empathy.

My Dad, Glen, was a gruffly independent man who hid his empathy under a layer of brusqueness. He would never be described as warm and fuzzy, and yet I watched him display his generosity with the same unshowy efficiency he utilized with everything else. If he saw an injured deer on the road (and he did many times), he would pull over, throw a blanket over it, place it in his pickup, and bring it home to revive. He nursed injured birds, organized reforestation efforts, and volunteered at a food pantry. During the recent fires in California, he spent hours in the smoky darkness, pounding on doors in his neighborhood to ensure everyone woke up to evacuate.

I am prouder than I can say to be their daughter.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an environmental artist with an emphasis on site specific installations and dimensional work.

Through my work I explore our responsibility to the natural world through women’s historic interaction with it. Working in this way connects me to the countless women before me who walked their land, looked, categorized, smelled, tasted, learned, and valued their surroundings. Historically matriarchial pursuits such as foraging, weaving, and vessel making are often intrinsically linked to the land. If the people gathering and working with these materials didn’t showcase care and intention with the ecosytems they were interacting with, they literally would not survive. We have removed ourselves from the knowledge that our survival is tied to our land, but not the reality that it still is. We will not survive if we treat our connection to the natural world as incidental.

This is the heart of my work; collecting, housing, cherishing, and showcasing the ecosystems we are on a path to lose. My recent focus is on large woven wire pieces that house pollinator seeds within tiny glass spheres. This series is called “Heirloom”, and is visually inspired by jewelry. It explores what we value and pass on to our children, made at a time when I am desperately worried about what beautiful parts of our planet will be left for my own young son.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Early in my journey, what served me well was to not limit myself to a particular style or medium. I spent years developing my fine art, scenic design, and sculptural skills, and was then able to select the skills that were best suited for each project. Because I had a broad range of capabilities, I was able to support myself as an artist as I developed my skills and found my artistic voice. I designed theatrical sets, painted murals, illustrated chalkboards, painted live at events, built window displays, and worked for other artists. If I didn’t know how to do something I would take the job and then figure it out as I went (with varying degrees of success).

The more difficult and ultimately rewarding part of my journey was when I took what had been an expansive approach to art making and narrowed it. I started turning down jobs that didn’t feel personal. I thought about what I wanted to tell the world and how I could do so through my work. I decided that I had this one small sliver of influence, and I was going to use it to speak for the environment. After having made art in a commercial capacity for years, it was a tough transition for me to identify my own interests and aesthetic, but I worked at it. I still work at it, but now it is a practice full of joy, because I am following my own curiosity.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

In the past year, I have given myself license to pursue what I’m drawn to without judgement, even if it feels frivolous or unproductive. What I have been surprised by is that this almost always leads to a serendipitous new discovery in my art. When I was a new mom I had no energy to create, but long walks with my son led to pockets of gathered seeds that became my Reliquary Series. When I felt burnt out and wanted to distract myself I consumed hundreds of podcast episodes about women in history, which showed me how important historical knowledge is for my body of work. Researching ritual practices for fun solstice crafts helped me see art making as a form of ritual, a little spell I am sending into the world with my fingers crossed. Growing a garden helped me learn about plants and their benefits, which greatly informs my work. Allowing myself to pursue joy and follow my curiosity has helped me knit my art practice and my life together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brandinhurleystudio.com
• Instagram: @brandin.hurley

Image Credits

Matthew C. Yee