We all need to calm down.

Kyle Nathan Brown is a UK based contemporary visual artist and writer. He tells us a bit about his work and why we all need to calm down.

‘I consider myself a visual artist, but when asked “what do I make?” I would call my work drawings, illustrations, images, or even pictures. My inspiration comes very much from my own personal experiences and observations of life, whether that be day-to-day or more philosophical. And my drawings always come in collections or batches, even though one drawing is a piece in itself it contributes the wider piece; like one moment not being life, but life being made up of (seemingly, when looking back) lots of different moments. Balancing pathos and humour in my work; I often switch between irony, sarcasm and occasionally silliness, and seriousness, emotionally connected, and earnest; this could be categorised as post-irony. My work is at the same time ironic, because sometimes issues need an that approach to both explain the gravity of the subject, and at the same time defuse it; in earnest, because a part of me is genuinely concerned by the subjects I choose, and therefore become more emotionally engaged; and also passive, because the nihilistic part of me sees the subjects of each drawing as little more than simple aspects of life, hence the general variety in subject, I suppose task for people looking at my work is deciphering which piece falls into which category. 

I currently use a black permanent marker and fine liner for the drawing and text pieces, which enables an execution and attitude of instinctive/intuitive readiness. Drawing faces, bodies, objects like coffee cups and shoes, and shapes or patterns, all becomes very arbitrary. I often draw these things because they’re in front of me or because something is on my mind, and burden them with meaning by adding words, or by redrawing them with words, therefore referencing them and attaching them to an ongoing narrative; life. 

I have recently self-published a book of drawings, entitled ‘The Toll It Takes’, and is available by contacting me by email, and information will soon be found through my website. I am working on a collaborative project with artist and friend Inga Linevičiūtė, resulting in a zine exhibition, but is still in it’s early stages. Also, I was recently featured in the first and second edition of ‘Collect’; a Wellington, New Zealand based zine, which is starting to pick up momentum of it’s own. 

For more of Kyle’s work, head to his website