[[ PORTALS ]]

Artwork by Brooklyn Ottens • Exhibit runs from April 29 to June 9, 2023.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
[[ A portal is an extraordinary opening in space or time that connects and calls attention to spatial transition. It can connect travelers to distant realms, be a door into the unknown, or mark a separation of a sacred precinct from a profane one. Thus it has characteristics of both a path and a place; simultaneously a termination and a beginning. ]]

From an early age, the majestic beauty of Utah’s wild has instilled in me an intimate love for the outdoors. It has propelled me on an everlasting journey to connect with that peace, silence, space, and clarity only Mother Nature can offer. I am inspired by rock art done by the original Utah Natives and the connection and meaning it had to those people. I also look at the patterns and symbolism present in many other cultures and countries around the world. I think about the longevity of those patterns and the stories one small symbol can tell; whether to this generation or the next.

That connection to nature has taught me a basic concept that “life is not about perfection, but about progress”. It has helped show me the interrelation of all things; that everything in our world, both natural and synthetic, is made up of energy and carries with it a certain vibration. When creating, I try to imagine the frequency a certain object or image might carry, then interpret that into each unique design. My goal is to express a view free from the confines of dualism; instead tapped into the consciousness of life and the joys of creating.
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Through my artwork, I try to share that freedom and clarity to the viewer. I hope my pieces can be a portal to a calmer reality, one where the stresses and routines of daily life are lifted, if just for a moment. By creating something both natural and graphic, modern and ancient, illusion and reality, I’m inviting the viewer to leave everything behind and just BE.

ARTIST BIO:
Brooklyn Ottens has always called Utah home. She was born and raised in Utah County and has lived in downtown Salt Lake City for the past 14 years. In 2014, she got an art studio at the historic Guthrie Artist Studios and has continued to create there for the past 8 years. She creates multimedia works using pen & ink, acrylic, aerosol, oils, and watercolor on paper and wood panels.

Brooklyn is currently enrolled at Salt Lake Community College, where she is working towards a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. In 2022, she received the Terry Martin Award at the Annual SLCC Student Showcase for one of her artworks. Since 2020, she has gotten the opportunity to paint several murals around Salt Lake Valley and hopes to create more public art in the future.

She has shown and sold her work all over Salt Lake City from Craft Lake City and Urban Arts Festivals, to Mural Fest and the public library galleries. Creative expression has always been a part of her life; whether it be art, screen printing, murals, fashion, or installation design, she possesses a constant and natural urge to create.