ARI BROCHIN
photos by: camille duvall / words by camille duvall and madeline davis
What the f*ck does Ari Brochin do every day as a full-time artist?
Known in the NYC art scene and beyond for her fine art prop paintings and magnetic digital presence, we at Moogly Mag visited her East Williamsburg studio to find out just that.
We were first introduced to the whimsical world of Ari through her instagram series: “What the fuck do I do every day as a full time artist” a candid look into the ups and downs of a creative in New York City. After accidentally creating her own niche of renting out painted props to be used in editorial campaigns, photoshoots, runways and more, her life as an artist has led her to places she could’ve never imagined, and she’s taking us with her in the process.
Join us as we sit down with Ari and her sweet pup Sadie, to get the nitty gritty on her artistic process, how she navigates the unpredictable nature of a freelance career, and how one epic house party (and a very serious grounding) led to a lifelong love affair with art.
Can you tell us a little about how you developed your gorgeous, whimsical art style? What was the journey of creating props to tell your story as an artist?
It took a long time. I've been making art as a business since my junior year of college, but it took until last year to find this specific style. I was making art for what I knew would sell and what I knew was trending, but it wasn't setting my soul on fire. After three years of doing that, I got so burnt out that I didn't paint at all for a year. Nothing was coming to me until I just took a chance on a late-night thought, and it just sparked so many ideas.
Do you have any tips and tricks for getting yourself out of those creative ruts?
Putting my phone away definitely helps. The more I consume, the fewer ideas I have, so the more I put my phone away, the more I can let my brain think. I love going for a nice, solid 30-minute walk with music, especially in this area, there's so much graffiti and art, and so many creative people that inspire me.
What’s going triple platinum on your walks right now? What's in the rotation?
I find that my music taste really changes with the season. I always listen to rap in the winter and then a more Afro house in the summer, so I'm in a jazz and Afro house moment right now. It gets my body moving, and the energy flowing, especially in the studio. The sound really echoes in here.
Being in Brooklyn, where there is so much happening all the time and so many creative things going on, is super inspiring. Most of my friends are creative people with so many different passions. That's what actually inspired me to use my paintings as props, because I was working with a friend who's a photographer. I love the fast-paced energy of New York, too. I need the hustle of everyone else around me.
What are some of your favourite things about being an artist in New York?
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by that choas and fast-pacedness of the city?
Of course. As much as I love the rat-race aspect of it, it can be such a toxic cycle of burnout just trying to get to the finish line. It’s such a balance to find.
I’ll let you know when I get there. I’m a very organized chaotic person. It’s how my brain works. It’s how my life works. So it’s something I’ve just had to learn to work with vs. against. Having my own studio helped, somewhere away from my house that I have to clock into and get my goddamn money’s worth out of.
How long did it take to find that balance?
I go to the Rubin Museum pretty often; it’s more contemporary. I go to a lot of galleries. I get kind of overwhelmed in a museum, so I like a smaller show. And like, free wine over clubbing hello? My roommate actually works at a very nice gallery. So it's super fun to go to her openings because she knows a lot about the artists they represent and shows they're having.
What art museums in the city are you frequenting?
Are you a good schmoozer? Are you making fun connections in those spaces?
Yeah, for sure. If I have to plug myself, I definitely will. I met someone Saturday night who runs this art reposting Instagram account with like 20 million followers, and I wiggled my way right in there. If I can schmooze someone, I'll definitely do it. It's 50% of the job. It takes time, but I realized it just goes hand in hand with making friends and making genuine connections with people.
You’ve found an enthusiastic following since shifting to prop making and creative direction. What is your experience combining your art and your social media?
It’s such a blessing and a curse, but it's why I can do what I do. There's a lot of comparison that goes on for sure. But then it's really cool when people comment like, “oh my god, I've been watching your journey since the beginning” Things like that where I'm like, "shit, that's crazy." People actually keep up with me and are excited about what I'm doing. It just becomes toxic when you start to get so deep in the views and the numbers and the analytics and the comparison and the competition.
What has been the most significant learning curve in keeping up with the rigamarole of social media and finding your audience?
I think it's about doing your own thing, carving out your own path and your own niche, and having people come to you because they know they're going to get what's in the content you create and not just what's trending. Understanding that no matter what you do, you are the niche. You are the brand. I think if myself two years ago could watch what I'm creating now she'd be like, “that's fucking sick” that's what I strive for.
I grew up in a very one-path kind of town where you would do the same thing and live the same life as everyone, and I was scared to be my most creative self because of it. So I would tell her to push through and do it anyway, because it'll be worth it… and to keep wearing whatever the fuck she wants.
We’re big fans of connecting to our younger selves too at Moogly. What would you say to your 5-year-old self if she were in front of you?
What would she say to you?
"My god, you're so cool," and also "I'm not surprised you're gay, girl." I think she would want me to continue to explore myself, explore the world, and continue to be in nature because I loved nature as a kid. My best friend and I were those girls at recess who were in the back by this huge tree, digging for worms. And the kids used to call us nature freaks. And so I think it still fits.
We were literally just talking about how we were clocked in at recess trying to dig holes to China
Speaking of adolescence, we read that you were grounded for throwing a party in high school, and that's how you found out you were a good artist? Do you remember what your first piece was?
No same because I used to have this crazy dream that I dug a hole to China and I’ll never forget it. Like who taught us that we could dig holes to China?
I do. I drew a super realistic pair of lips with red dripping from them. I remember I took a picture and put a little filter on it, and posted it on Facebook and people were freaking out. So I just kept drawing because I was grounded for six months with no phone, no computer, and I wasn’t allowed to watch TV.
Was the party fun?
So fun. I was a freshman, and there were seniors there. And at one point, someone was taking something out of the fridge, and I was like, can you not? And they're like, who are you? I was like, this is my house, my Babybell's back, please.”