|| ARTIST BIO || Brooklyn Ottens has always called Utah home. She has lived in downtown Salt Lake City for the past 14 years, with an art studio at the historic Guthrie Building for the last 7 years. There, she creates multimedia works using pen & ink, acrylic, aerosol, oils, and watercolor on paper and wood panels. Creative expression has always been a part of her life, whether it be art, murals, screen printing, fashion, or installation design, she possesses a constant and natural urge to create.
|| ARTIST STATEMENT || From an early age, the majestic beauty of Utah's wild has instilled in me an intimate love for the outdoors. It has propelled me on an everlasting journey to connect with that peace, silence, space, and clarity only Mother Nature can offer. I am inspired by rock art done by the original Utah Natives and the connection and meaning it had to those people. I also look to the patterns and symbolism present in many other cultures and countries around the world. I think about the longevity of those patterns and the stories one small symbol can tell; whether to this generation or the next.
That connection to nature has taught me a basic concept that "life is not about perfection, but about progress". It has helped show me the interrelation of all things; that everything in our world, both natural and synthetic, is made up of energy and carries with it a certain vibration. When creating, I try to imagine the frequency a certain object or image might carry, then interpret that into each unique design. My goal is to express a view free from the confines of dualism; instead tapped into the consciousness of life and the joys of creating. Through my artwork, I try to share that freedom and clarity to the viewer. I hope my pieces can be a portal to a calmer reality, one where the stresses and routines of daily life are lifted, if just for a moment. By creating something both natural and graphic, modern and ancient, illusion and reality, I’m inviting the viewer to leave everything behind and just BE.
|| MURALS & INSTALLATIONS || NAME | LOCATION | RUN DATES "Towards the Light" for South Salt Lake Mural Fest | 50 W. Oakland Ave SSLC, UT | 5/2021 - Present "Kearns Future" with Matt Monson for Kearns Public Library | 4275 W. 5345 S. Kearns, UT | 11/2021 - Present "Bjork: Queen of Avant Garde" for Queens of Music Festival | 10 N. Rio Grande, SLC, UT | 3/2020 - Present Art Shop Windows at The Gateway | 177 S. Rio Grande, SLC, UT | 11/2018 - 3/2019 Art Shop Windows at The Gateway | 50 S. Rio Grande, SLC, UT | 5/2018 - 8/2018 Apt. 202 Boutique Window Displays | 955 E. 900 S. SLC UT | 9/2015 - 5/2017 Main Street Pop-Up Parks | 190 S. Main Street SLC, UT | 5/2015 - 6/2015 || EXHIBITIONS || TITLE | GALLERY | SHOW DATES "Portals" | Salt Lake City Main Library. SLC, UT | 4/29/2023 - 6/10/2023 Group Show | Draw Inc. Art Gallery. SLC, UT | 9/15/2017 - 10/14/2017 Group Show | FICE Gallery & Boutique. SLC, UT | 8/18/2017 - 9/13/2017 "Precise Nature" | Sweet Library Avenues Branch. SLC, UT | 11/5/2016 - 12/24/2016 "eARTh" Exhibit | Urban Arts Gallery @ the Gateway. SLC | 4/5/2016 - 5/7/2016 "In Dreams Awake" | Urban Arts Gallery @ the Gateway. SLC | 12/4/2014 - 1/5/2015 Guthrie Artist Group Show | Impact Hub, 150 S State Street. SLC, UT | 8/1/2015 - 11/19/2015 Guthrie Artist Group Show | FICE Gallery & Boutique. SLC, UT | 11/21/2014 - 12/19/2014
|| FESTIVALS & MARKETS || EVENT | LOCATION | DATES Art Adoption 2018 | Signed & Numbered, 2320 S West Temple, SLC, UT | 12/15/2018 Art Adoption 2017 | Signed & Numbered, 2320 S West Temple, SLC, UT | 12/2017 Avenues Street Fair 2017 | People's Gallery, The Avenues. SLC, UT | 9/10/2017 Avenues Street Fair 2016 | People's Gallery, The Avenues. SLC, UT | 9/10/2016 Avenues Street Fair 2015 | People's Gallery, The Avenues. SLC, UT | 9/1/2015 Craft Lake City DIY Festival 2016 | Gallivan Center, 239 S Main St. SLC, UT | 8/12/2016 - 8/14/2016 Craft Lake City DIY Festival 2015 | Gallivan Center, 239 S Main St. SLC, UT | 8/7/2015 - 8/8/2015 Craft Lake City DIY Festival 2014 | Gallivan Center, 239 S Main St. SLC, UT | 8/8/2014 - 8/9/2014 Solstice: A Winter Communal | Impact Hub, 150 S State Street. SLC, UT | 12/23/2017 Solstice: A Winter Communal | Clubhouse SLC, 850 E South Temple | 12/21/2016 - 12/23/2016 Solstice: A Winter Communal | Church & State, 370 S 300 E SLC, UT | 12/19/2015 Urban Arts Festival 2015 | Rio Grande Street @ The Gateway. SLC, UT | 7/18/2015 - 7/19/2015 Urban Arts Festival 2016 | Gallivan Center, 239 S Main St. SLC, UT | 9/17/2016 - 9/18/2016 Urban Arts Festival 2017 | Gallivan Center, 239 S Main St. SLC, UT | 9/16/2017 - 9/17/2017 Wasatch Cooperative Market Fundraiser | Local First Utah, 865 S 200 W. SLC, UT | 8/12/2015
ALL IMAGES ARE BY AND BELONG TO BROOKLYN OTTENS. ANY REPRODUCTION OR USE WOULD BE A DAMN SHAME WITHOUT THE ARTIST'S CONSENT... PLEASE RESPECT ART AND OWNERSHIP - GIVE CREDIT OR CONTACT ME FIRST! MANY THANKS!