Artist 328
Fanny Brodar
Nostalgia
Painting
Fanny Brodar (born 1971) is a Norwegian born artist who explores playful curiosity of childhood. She holds a background as an illustrator which shows in her work.
She is influenced by Japanese art, as well as the works of artists like Rose Wylie and Philip Guston.
Further Brodar is influenced by playful nostalgia as well as illustrative simplistic and expressive characters that focuses on fun, raw, unusual, figurative pieces with bold fluorescent colours.
When asked about her process Brodar explains:
“Another thing that happened in the last year that had a great influence on my work is the pandemic. At that point, I was looking for an escape. It was winter/early spring here in Maine, which means it was still dark and cold.I really delved into painting big, bright, and fantastical works.
I started getting much more loose and childlike, in many ways reverting back to being a child drawing in my room, approaching the canvas as if it were a big coloring book.
I often start my paintings by working flat on the floor, layering paint, and then drawing and doodling directly on the canvas before I put it upright on stretcher bars or the wall.
Thinking about my childhood bedroom, it was a place filled with imagination and fantasy, just like my current studio — it’s like I can go wherever I want when I’m in there.”
Brodar gives the viewer hints of her process through exposed pencil marks, paint drips and deliberate unpainted areas saying there is always the never-ending question of “Is it finished?”.
Brodar relates this to observing children create and their intrinsic “knowing” of when a piece is finished.
Drawing on her life and immediate surroundings, Brodar paints are nostalgic: ducks because she had pet ducks as a child, monsters that remind her of the Muppets, plants because she loves them.
Brodar explains, “My art is influenced by the playful curiosity of childhood and the simplistic yet expressive characters of artists like Philip Guston. I love improvisational theatre, and the way I paint is similar, spontaneously from a thought rather than pre-sketching; this allows the viewer to see hints of my process through exposed pencil marks, paint drips, and deliberate unpainted areas.
Inspiration for my paintings mostly comes from childhood memories, my imagination, and things that are important to me.“
Brodar views her paintings as bright tapestries showcasing the otherworldly nostalgic magic of childhood innocence.
Her work makes me think of Picasso’s quote, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.“
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