Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi McKinnon.
Hi Brandi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up with three siblings who were all a decade older, exposed me to a range of provocative art from a very early age. While my peers watched Sesame Street and sang their ABCs, I was obsessively re-watching Nightmare on Elm Street and dancing to Nirvana. Still to this day censorship has never been a friend of mine and I wholeheartedly believe I would not be the artist I am today without those adolescent freedoms I was given. The ability to evoke feelings both pleasurably and uncomfortably through art is a talent, I grew more and more fascinated with as a child.
My background in art started young with homemade DIY plays, dances, and films I would present to family, forcing my friends to be in whatever stories lived in my mind. My parents forced me to audition for Dr. Phillips HS performing arts program to get me out of the streets on the West side and put my passion to good use. I spent four years in Dr. Phillips’s incredibly extensive acting program, deciding in my senior year I wanted to jump ship and earn my degree in film (a craft I had never had proper training in). In my eyes, learning behind the camera would best teach me how to be in front – and it did!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Through dance classes, piano/trumpet lessons, theatre rehearsals, and film making – I was countlessly told that I must choose a specific craft or else I would be mediocre in all. I live to destigmatize this myth and furthermore prove being a mixed-media artist gives oneself permission to be continuously self-evolving. I deeply enjoy being able to articulate myself in many different forms. Institutional learning held value for gaining concrete knowledge. However, there was a great deal of information I then had to un-learn in order to unbox myself from the machine-like prototype and standards that the school system set.
Even looking back on my four years at University, I strongly believe one of the biggest assets I gained was confidence in my individuality. Changing my comparative mindset to grasping that my differences were what set me apart, was a game-changer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my final year of film school, I interviewed for a multi-disciplinary program that allowed you to come into a creative space as an artist. Not just a filmmaker, not just an actor, not just a writer, but a present and active artist. This program was a game-changer for someone like me who hates to be told who I have to be to make art. I could come in and read a poem I wrote, perform a song with my electric guitar, or show a film and all of this sharing was equally beneficial to devising my next big “piece”. What sets me apart from others is my process, letting ideas and artwork breathe as if they have their own life.
I have found a love for self-portrait installations and films, where I am able to both act and direct. Cindy Sherman, Nadia Lee Cohen, and Patti Smith are a couple of monumental role models for me. I enjoy using my organic process for whatever project is in front of me; creative directing photoshoots, music videos, films, and live performance art. In this past year, I have produced four immersive mixed-media shows, and have fallen in love with creating semi-abstract experiences for people.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have a strong passion for art-making and art therapy for those with disabilities. In high school, I was a mentor in a program called “Robins Nest” where we work with disabled children on stage and allow them to use their unique voices in a performance setting. Art is an extremely healing tool that everyone should have access to. Having a studio space to amplify diverse experiences, would be a dream come true.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hernamesbrandi/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HerNamesBrandi
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCluKI0XwZCsonk6lhE2YYRA
Image Credits
Neil Ekisola
Aidan Mclellan
Georgia Lawrence
