Brooke Schneider

How did you get into making art?

Art is something I was always interested in as a young child. I spent most of my childhood creating field guides, building fairy houses, and spending hours drawing and reading. Arts programming was ingrained in the education system in my hometown of Greenville, SC, and in high school, I attended an art school for visual, creative, and performing arts. The education I received there laid the foundation for my practice today because of my teachers, who encouraged my excitement for making art as a young artist. I continued to receive valuable support during undergrad at the University of Southern California, where I worked with exceptional faculty and had access to facilities and an art community that I had never experienced before. I feel fortunate to have had so many educators (and my parents) pouring into my love for making art and sharing their resources and experiences to support my creative practice.

What are you currently working on?

I am about to start my first year as an MFA at New York University in New York City, so my practice was on pause as I packed up my life in Nashville, TN. I have been drawing and plotting out some small-scale beadwork pieces I want to start before the semester begins. Once I get moved into my new studio, I want to continue my body of ceramic vessels but with a different approach focusing on domesticity and cultural mythology and the role of women in societal and domestic spaces in the American South. I also want to start a series of paintings! I am using the next two years to experiment and explore within my practice!

What inspired you to get started on this body of work?

In the past, my work focused on the historical evolution of physical labor in discourse with collective memory. Lately, I have become more interested in unseen labor encountered in everyday actions as it relates to womanhood within social and even religious narratives. I am also thinking about the symbolism of water in religious, historical, and female experiences. My interest in cultural memory and mythology led me to examine women’s roles as invisible laborers.

I want to understand how women carry the burdens of fear, labor, and power within a cultural context. I want this new work to address the tension I feel as a Southern woman who has internalized fear-based beliefs and expectations. I am making this work to understand myself and the weight of upholding cultural perceptions and traditions, and it is satisfying for my work to move in a different conceptual direction, especially as I begin an MFA program.

Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?

I work on many things all at once. Since my work is labor-intensive and a majority of my work is ceramics-based, it takes me a while to complete pieces. I like to have multiple projects in progress that require different levels of attention and intensity. I work on things as they call to me!

What’s a typical day like in your studio?

My studio days have an organic rhythm shifting between research, planning, and making my work. I prefer to go into the studio early in the morning when the day still feels slow! I usually get a coffee or Coca-Cola and play music or a movie while I work. I need background noise to get things done! I let the pieces and materials guide how I structure my studio days. I usually work until I physically can’t continue, but I’m learning to set boundaries since my back and hands hurt by the end of the day. There’s a time warp when I’m in the studio – I lose track of the hours when I’m immersed in my work.

Who are your favorite artists?

Ann Hamilton, Hernan Bas, Heidi Lau, Beverly Buchanan, Mark Dion! I am also inspired by historic tradespeople (brickmakers, basket makers, weavers, blacksmiths, etc) and folk artists!

Where do you go to discover new artists?

I discover new artists through friends and by going to galleries. Also Instagram! I have a love-hate relationship with the app, but it is a great place to find and connect with new artists!