Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryn Gleason.
Bryn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was a kid was constantly making art. I drew amateur pictures of the birds I saw flying overhead or clustered in trees. I routinely documented the mysterious creatures I met in my dreams. I would hang bits of broken blue glass from the ceiling above my bed in an attempted to create the feeling of sunlight reflecting off the surface of a lake. It wasn’t until I attended collage that I considered Fine Art as a career and adult lifestyle. I realized I couldn’t leave my crafting delights to drift away with my childhood the moment I pulled my first Intaglio print. I was infatuated with the rich contrast, intensely intricate detail, and unique embossment that Intaglio Copper Etching offered. I immediately abandoned my plans of a Bachelor of Science, buckled down at my restaurant job, pinched my pennies to afford copper plates, and dove head first into my artwork. 10 years later, I still get just as excited when I pull a finished print. I still shrug off questions about my ink stained hands with a smirk.
Great, 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?
It’s never been easy to pursue being a printmaker, but I enjoy the continuous challenge. While studying printmaking in collage, I worked nights and weekends in an attempt to afford large sheets of copper and etching tools, on top of tuition and housing. I started waiting tables as a means to an end. I knew I would be good at it and I needed to make money while I wasn’t in the studio. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with restaurant work, but I did. I was intrigued by the art of balancing cocktails and I began learning from the bartenders I worked with. When I graduated collage I left the comfort of my printmaking mentor’s guidance to apply to professional printmaking studios. Simultaneously, I applied to restaurants as a bartender and, rather reluctantly, left my first restaurant family to test my skills on my own. Though I love both the crafts I practice, it can be difficult to balance my time between the two, as both require long hours and physical work. Bartending is a unique monster of a career. It has allowed me the flexibility to move to different cities and practice my printmaking craft amongst different professional Artists. When I left my home in Minneapolis, where I was printing at HighPoint Center For Printmaking, I moved to New York City, where I printed at The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Currently, I am printing at the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative on the North Side of Chicago and mixing up cocktails at Kuma’s Corner West Loop. In addition to my current work-print-repeat lifestyle, I am always open for commissions! Working with musicians on album art and with restaurant owners on custom decor are my two favorite projects. I am always open to meet with people to see if our ideas and visual aesthetic aline so that I can create something custom. In a nut shell, I don’t get enough sleep, but I really enjoy my life.
Please tell us about Bryn R. Gleason.
I specialize in Intaglio Copper Etching Printmaking. I often incorporates delicate and detailed images with aggressive and sporadic line work, resulting in an overall aesthetic that is dark, moody, and eerily captivating. I practice traditional and contemporary printmaking processes, etching photographic and hand rendered imagery into my copper plates. Both the craft of Fine Art Printing and the conceptual meaning of my Artwork are equally important.
My early work was greatly influenced by my volunteer experiences with homeless and underprivileged youth in Minneapolis and abroad. Symbolic critters depict youthful struggles in a playful yet dark environment, touching on concepts such as divorce, abandonment, and strained family relationships.
My newer works focus on The Queer Community, celebrating love and highlighting its challenges and precious intimate moments.
I like my work to be accessible and am always willing to adjust projects to fit clients’ budgets. I offer drawings, watercolor paintings, and digitally rendered artwork at a lower cost than my copper etchings.
Traditionally, the price of a printed addition should not be adjusted. However, I offer digital replicas of all of my original hand-printed artwork to make my images affordable to a broader audience.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My fondest childhood memory… pretending I was a fish, in a lake in North Minnesota.
Contact Info:
- Address: Chicago Printmakers Collaborative
4912 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 - Website: BrynGleason.com
- Email: BrynRGleason@gmail.com
- Instagram: Bryn_Gleason
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bryn.gleason
Image Credit:
Sarah Blesener
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
