Oklahoma City artist, illustrator and designer Karson Brooks explores mental health and depression — as well as a colorful, cartoonish escape from it — in her solo exhibition Feline Fine, running from Friday, October 14 through Saturday, November 12, 2022 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main, Norman.
There will be an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, October 14 and closing reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, November 11, both in conjunction with the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. Receptions and daily gallery hours — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday — are free and open to all.
Feline Fine explores both sides of the artist. One side of the gallery illustrates the mental discourse of depression and mental health, while the other seeks an escape to a world of cartoonish life events. The colorful use of abstract meets Mid-Century Modern is meant to emulate the surroundings and curation of the artist’s home, person, and internal dialogue.
Karson Brooks is an Oklahoma-born artist, currently located in Oklahoma City. Her primary focus is centered around her career as a visual designer and illustrator. Through her self-exploration as an artist, she’s been working on both new and old concepts, one of which includes her cat comic, Belmont and several series that focus on her mental health and bodily autonomy.
Belmont features small windows into the life of her cat Velma, aka: Belmont. Belmont, is the name given to Velma when she’s been a “bad cat.” And while Belmont is baby, Karson hopes that many others see their own little bad kitties through the antics of the two main characters. The comic also highlights her passion for plants, interior decor, and a nod to some of her favorite animators.
As someone who has been managing manic depression since her early teens, the scope of her mental well-being is a heavy concept for her other art pieces. Her earlier concepts that focused on topics such as learning of her own infertility issues to lifelong depression struggles can be seen in their evolution in this exhibit. By combining organic movement with stark contrast of human figures, she unites the two to create a visual understanding of the how her emotions play into the everyday life she presents.
Karson hopes to continue developing these concepts by working toward a more physical presence in the art world. Plans for more physical media are on the horizon, as well as, many more shows she is looking forward to. To stay updated with future shows, artwork, and more, follow her on Instagram under @plight.studio.