Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mann Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation; we’ve shared it below.
Mann, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Childhood. It was definitely childhood for me. Being an unconventionally queer Black boy living in a very rigidly heteronormative environment in rural Alabama in the 80s, I had to become my own protector. I had to create my own reality. I had to know how to play the game. Having to manage that level of responsibility as a kid, breeds resilience and a whole host of other things that prepare you for any and every thing life can throw your way. I started showing signs of Tourette’s syndrome and other auto immune disorders at an early age. I believe psychological stress can transmute into physical conditions. I was a relatively happy, but somewhat burdened kid. I experienced a lot. I mean really a lot. I had to learn to survive. Inside and out.
I was raised in a well-balanced home with a healthy mix of love, affection, and discipline. Lots and lots of nurturing. I had amazing friendships, but a lot of kids didn’t understand me. Neither did a lot of adults. If I’m honest, I didn’t totally understand myself either. I had a lot to learn. I fought a lot as a kid. I had to. I was trained to be solid. My grandmother, my uncles, and my sisters made me tough. In a sense, I feel like they knew what I was up against, and they were aware of what the world would attempt to do to a boy like me. They just prepared me in a way that I would be kind of untouchable. They fought for me, and they also taught me to fight for myself. In fact, there were times I would visit my grandmother (GrumMary) as an adult and she’d say to me “Mann, you don’t fight no mo’ do you?” (laughter). I feel like that was her way of making sure I was still standing up for myself. And I was.
But in the early years, there were times when I would grow tired of fighting. Even as a kid, sometimes you just want peace. You just want to exist unproblematically. And so, I learned to escape through my imagination. My mother and I would go shopping, and I would always stop at the periodical stand. I would spend the entire time flipping through magazines. The photographs were inadvertently a vision board for my life; for what I wanted my life to be. Even though I had tons of magazines at home, I would beg my mom for more, be it a car magazine, a lifestyle magazine, home decor, pop culture, you name it. I was consumed by it. And I would get home and spend hours upon hours looking through magazines and encyclopedias, learning and visualizing, curating the life I wanted to have. A life where I could just be. It was truly an escape from my reality. Looking back, I realize I’d tapped into manifestation before I knew what manifestation was.
Then I turned 13. And I decided I wouldn’t be prey anymore. No matter what. And it’s like overnight I had created an entirely different reality for myself. Like an avatar. A character. A representative. Just like the one I had envisioned. And ultimately all it took was for me to decide. I discovered the power of the mind at such a young age.
As a young man I sought adventure. I knew the world was open to me. I had confidence. I had dreams. And I was met with a lot of adversity, but it made me stronger. It made me wiser. It refined me.
You know what, I’ve been homeless three times in my adult life. I’ve slept in my car with all my belongings. Front and back seats packed to the ceiling. I’ve slept on friends’ sofas and even their floors. I’ve slept in shelters, gyms, and other places. You wouldn’t believe if I told you.
I have wanted to quit many times, believe that. But every time I get in that space, I remember those who fought for me as a kid. And once again, I’m compelled to show up to life and just fight back.
That’s the resilience. And I can’t completely take credit for it… I’m just glad it hasn’t failed me.
It’s truly been a journey. It has genuinely made the ME the art.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Mann Brown. Mann was the first name I knew. Most people know me by Larry or Mann or some other nickname. Depending on how or where they met me. I’m from Roanoke, Alabama. I grew up in what’s considered an Alabama orphan county. Which basically means that due to proximity, it’s in Atlanta’s designated market area. So, I kind of grew up in the best of both worlds; country living with exposure and access to the city. I love that for me. It was nice. A big blessing.
I’m an artist. That statement is difficult to say that sometimes. But I’ve always been an artist. Over the years, I have literally tapped into so many things. I’ve been a singer/songwriter, I was a men’s model coach, I was certified in massage, and the list goes on (laughter). I’m a writer and I paint. I sketch a tad bit from time to time, though that’s never been my strong suit (slight laughter). But most significantly, I’m a storyteller. My life has been colorful.
Living in Atlanta, I picked up a camera in 2012 just as a hobby. And the more I played around with it, the more curious I became. I grew more and more interested in the specifics and nuance of photography. I began photographing promotional material for local artists, entertainers, and executives. I worked with some pretty dope people early on. I was learning so much and so quickly that it was difficult to choose a genre and stick with it. But I was certain it wouldn’t be fashion based. Then I moved to New York. And literally everything changed.
In Fall of 2016, I landed in Harlem; a mecca for Black arts. I remember the drive from LaGuardia Airport to 123rd Street, between Frederick Douglas and St. Nick. Cruising down ‘125th’, I was enamored with the scene. I remember seeing the Apollo Theatre for the first time. Harlem was magical. It was alive and it was now home.
Some years prior, I had connected with a photography studio in Brooklyn through social media. By January 2017, just months after my arrival in New York, I was interning at that studio. I remember taking the C train at 135th Street to the A train at 125th Street to the E train at Columbus Circle, and finally the G train to Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn (laughter). It’d take me nearly 2 hours one way. Many days, I’d get home around 3am and would have to be back at the studio by 10am the same morning. I was learning so much, I didn’t really give much thought to the amount of sleep I was missing. At the time, sleep was basically for suckers to me.
I began assisting a fashion photographer who was just emerging at the time. Things were moving and shaking for him, and because of that opportunity, I was meeting all the people who would put me on my path. One of those being stylist and creative director, Andrei Adkins.
The day we met; Andrei’s assistant didn’t show up. He said to me very kindly “hey there, my assistant won’t be able to make it today. Would you mind helping me out a bit.” So, for that shoot I wore a couple of hats, assisting both the photographer and the stylist. It was the first time I had touched real pieces from the biggest names in fashion. Straight off the runway. Hilfiger, Chanel, Givenchy, you name it. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The clothes were heavy. The stitching was tight and perfect. It was my chance to see what makes fashion an art. Firsthand. And I knew in that moment, I was where I belonged.
And sure enough, shortly after that shoot, Andrei connected me with a production company to work as an assistant. My very first job was with British GQ; the cover shoot with Naomi Campbell and Skepta. I was literally working with the magazine I had once only read and adored as a young man. Manifestation is real.
As an assistant, I have worked with brands like Rolling Stone, Vogue, Net-a-Porter, Balmain Hair, Town & Country Magazine, Greats Brand, and more. And in addition to Naomi and Skepta, I’ve worked with names like Wendy Williams, Victoria Beckham, Camilla Cabello, Coco Rocha, Travis Scott, Mickalene Thomas and more. It’s been exciting. Hard hard work sometimes, but nonetheless excited.
As a freelance artist the work has been vast. I have ongoing projects with Meta and BlackTech Meeutp. I’ve worked quite a bit with New York University. In 2020, I worked with Weiden + Kennedy and Sprite, capturing their erected billboards for the “Create Your Future” campaign featuring Black artists in Atlanta. The photographs landed Bronze in their category at the Obie OOH Awards in 2021. That was a proud moment.
In 2022 I began working with Christie’s, the world’s leading auction house, where I currently photograph art for inventory and auction purposes. Through Christie’s, I am honored to have worked on “Visionary: The Paul G. Allen collection” – a masterpiece-filled collection of 60 pieces that sold for $1.5 billion. The biggest sale in art-market history.
This prompted me to finally launch my personal brand as an artist in 2023. I am currently working on a pictorial style series that I photographed in Ivory Coast in 2020 called “Sidewalk Symphony: Cadence of the Coast” It is a 12-piece wall art collection that beautifully captures different facets of life along the vibrant Boulevard VGE in Ivory Coast. Each artwork offers a unique perspective, showcasing the dynamic energy, diversity, and lively street scenes that unfold along this bustling thoroughfare.
This project is extremely dear to me, and I look forward to sharing it and more in the upcoming months.
This journey has been a rollercoaster. And at times it gets pretty heavy, but when things slow down I like to just chill. Breathe. Do my own thing. I spend an enormous amount of time alone. I love my solitude. I like to do what I want. Learn and grow, paint and work on personal projects, daydream, and catch sunsets in the city whenever time and weather permit.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Sheesh… I think I could create a list (laughter)
So here it is:
- Take risks. There is no such thing as safety.
- Even in adventure you will find adversity. Use it for your art.
- Stay true, don’t fold.
- Inspiration is everywhere when you allow yourself to see. So be inspired, but don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the killer of so many dreams. Unlearning that has been a process for me over the years.
- If you are pursuing an art career, I think the healthiest thing you can do for yourself, first and foremost, is get free from the opinion of others and discover your own voice. Use that as your canvas and foundation for everything you do create.
What truly awakens an artist is the discovery. Discovery of who you are and what you bring to this world. Your superpower. Some people discover at a young age, some people discover later in life, and some people never make that discovery. But if I had to say what makes art and what makes an artist, it all goes back to that discovery.
- Never stop learning. Literally learn from everything.
- Lastly, don’t take my word for any of this. Experience for yourself. It’s the only way.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
One of the advantages I’ve had is that I grew up in an environment championed autonomy. I’ve always had access to my own thoughts, beliefs, opinions and feelings. And those things were taught and encouraged by my parents. Who, although very different in nature, their common thread was ambition.
My dad being someone who left high school at sixteen years old, began work, and saw a great deal of success as a businessman in the livestock industry. He is extremely smart, sharp, logical, and just so damn cool. He’s the provider and a protector of the family. He knows cars. He knows plumbing. He knows electrical work. He knows farming. He knows roofing. I could go on. At a young age, he taught me problem solving, as an art. And even though I still call on him for help, he taught me everything I know about independence and self-sufficiency. He has always taken his role as a dad, brother, son, uncle and grandfather seriously. He was a father figure to many of my friends and kids in the community. A man of wisdom and integrity. My idea of what a man should be. We speak a few times a day (laughter). He’s my best friend.
And my mother, an extreme nurturer. She showered me with love and affection. She made sure I knew joy. She prioritized my safety. She kept me in touch with my soul. I learned how to be a good to people just by watching her. She didn’t play the radio about me (laughter). But neither did my sisters. At all. My mom, being the first in her family to earn a college degree, was very keen on language and learning. She didn’t allow me to say words like “ain’t” and she equipped the house with dictionaries and encyclopedias. Whenever I didn’t know a word’s meaning, she made me find it in the dictionary and read it to her. She went to college part time while working a full-time job, where she often picked up overtime, all while being a full-time mother and wife. And peep this; she graduated with honors. What a woman. Just brilliant, intentional, and ambitious, she was everything I needed as a mother. She’s the same as a grandmother. She did everything with love. And she’s exactly that way, today.
From a small child, I’ve known exactly who I am, no matter how that may have evolved over the years. And I have my parents to thank for that. All the values, the morals, the lessons, the freedom to grow, and the ability to take up space no matter what room I’m in, is the essence of my parents.
To paraphrase Stuart Hall, cultural theorist and intellectual giant, “we are hybrids of our environments and experiences”. Here I am. Let’s see what’s next.
Contact Info:
- Website: mannbrownart.com
- Instagram: mannbrown.art
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/mannbrownart/
- Twitter: mannbrownart
Image Credits
Feature image and photo shoot BTS: Dease Photo Vogue Feature: Model, Mohamed Cease, photo by Me. Vogue Feature: Model, Alex Thomas, photo by me.
