The backdrop is Los Angeles. The mood is electric and powerful. The source? Autumn Breon. A powerhouse of fierce intellect, thought-provoking self-expression, and an unyielding dedication to taking up space and giving voice to the historically silenced and unheard. Between world travels, advocacy, and artistry, Breon took time to share her thoughts about Black art and culture, navigating the art world, and sharing experiences as a freedom-seeking Black woman. Click below to find out more.
Tell us about your background? Where are you from? What are your creative talents?
I'm from Los Angeles, California. I have been able to live and work in different parts of the world. But my hometown is LA. I now live and work in Los Angeles. My studio is in Inglewood, and I loved growing up in Los Angeles. I grew up very interested in mathematics and science after a really important milestone turning point for me was reading A Wrinkle in Time. And that's what inspired me to want a career in math and science. But I also really loved poetry when I was a kid, reading and reciting poetry. I danced; I did modern and ballet. I have always loved history. I was a bookworm, all of those parts. All those parts of my childhood and growing up in LA have informed the rest of my life and my art practice to this day.
How did where you were raised fuel your artistry?
Los Angeles fueled my artistry; specifically, Black LA fueled my artistry because I grew up around so much art. LA has so many fantastic museums, galleries, and performing arts venues. I grew up taking in art and participating in art, which informs how I show up, how I make art, and the type of art I make. I love integrating parts of Black LA into what I make because it's so organic and intuitive.
Science and art have a long history of being two polarizing schools of thought. What do you believe are the benefits of having extensive knowledge in both areas?
I think it is a misconception to consider science and art as from two opposite ends of the spectrum. Science and art have a symbiotic relationship with each other. I think that all creatives, master science and art because you need both to create, and they support each other. I'm very scientific in my approach to art-making because I use the scientific method. I use that every day I observe something. I hypothesize about solutions and test them until I find a solution that works. And there's something very creative about science. And the act of creating art is scientific. The two are actually very much related and not separate at all. And we have so much to learn from scientific and artistic communities. It's important that those exist and work with each other instead of being seen as separate and siloed. Especially with the big types of problems that we have to find solutions to very quickly in our rapidly changing world now more than ever, science and art must work together.
A quick read of your bio and readers can note that you value knowledge and advocate for access to quality education. Where does that desire and passion stem from?
My passion and desire for equitable access to high-quality education come from all of the benefits that I've seen that I've lived through firsthand from having access to education. Everybody is deserving of that, full stop. This shouldn't be up for discussion anymore. I think that it is a right. Every human, every child deserves access to a high-quality education so that there's a level playing field. And that everybody has access to the beautiful benefits that come from being able to learn about the world and navigate through the world with the tools that come from a high-quality education. So it's a non-negotiable for me. Everyone is deserving of that.
Has your work in science, art, and education fueled your work as an art curator?
My work in science and art has played a huge role in my practice as an artist and curator because I use those ways of thinking and how I approach the work I do. So, as I said, I use the scientific method. I'm very intentional and have a disciplined approach to testing different solutions. And I do that creatively. I seek inspiration from, from art that is around me and from the way that people show up around me. I'm also very informed by organizing the significant paradigm shifts we've seen in human history. So these are all really just tools that I bring with me to what I do and how I show up in my creative practice.
As a curator, when collaborating with various artists and institutions, what challenges are associated with keeping the narrative of a project clear and present? How do you manage multiple expectations?
I'm very intentional with any collaboration to make sure that a collaboration is mutually beneficial. I try my best to ensure that every party that shows up can be seen, heard, and fully realized and that everybody gains something from their participation. I don't think that's something that only applies to one's creative practice. That's what collaboration should be in every setting. That's very important.
How has leisure and experiencing art and culture all over the world shaped your perspective as a Black woman and artist?
Taking in leisure, art, and culture in the various parts of the world that I've been able to work in and live in. That has shaped my perspective as a Black woman because it reminded me that rest is essential. And that adorning ourselves is also an essential form of expression. So that has informed me on how I think about the world and how I show up in the world as a Black woman. Knowing that rest is non-negotiable. It is a human right. It's good for us. That capitalism, white supremacy, and harmful systems like those have tried to alter how we think about something as natural as rest. So experiencing the different ways that we rest has reminded me of how essential rest is. That's informed me how I see the world and show up as a Black woman. And because, as an artist, I show up as my fully realized self, a part of that is me showing up as a Black woman. So rest has informed me how I show up as a human being. Seeing rest and experiencing that just reminds me how essential and non-negotiable it is.
What is one major takeaway you want audiences to grasp when viewing your upcoming exhibition, “Resting Our Eyes?”
When folks take in this exhibition, Resting Our Eyes, I want people not to be taught that rest is essential because that's not something we need to learn. It's a reminder of what we already know to be true. I look at the way that Trisha Hirsi, an author, organizer, and artist, discusses rest. In her recent book, rest is resistance, her manifesto is all about her Praxis that centers on rest. And I really love the way that she describes it as a basic human right that is essential in what we all know. I hope that folks are reminded of rest. I hope that folks are reminded of the importance of adornment and the ways that we have adorned ourselves throughout history. So I guess I hope that this exhibition reminds folks of what they already know to be true.
Now on to your style. It’s so refreshing, funky, hip, and free. What is your relationship with fashion as a means of radical self-care? What’s your inspiration behind how you pull together your clothes and jewelry?
Oh, I love the way that this is phrased, fashion as radical self-care. My inspiration for my fashion and how I show up sartorially is my grandmother, my Mother dear. I feel very close to her. When I am in the ritual of getting ready, that's where the self-care is for me. Not so much the finished product, like whatever the outfit or the makeup or the hair is, but the act of taking time to adorn yourself. It makes me feel really close to my grandmother because I used to love watching her get ready. That's such a special memory for me. And when I get to take the time to do that for myself, whether it's quick, or if it's, you know, a longer preparation. I love those moments, and I feel really close to her, and I feel very reminded of how she showed up in the world.