LIKA BRUTIAN TALKS ABOUT
INSPIRATION AND HER PARIS EXHIBITION
Written by S.S. Thompson
Article Photographs by S.S. Thompson
THERE may be no place more iconic for an artist to meet for an interview than Les Deux Magots in Paris. Photographer Lika Brutian seemed totally at ease among such hallowed tables. One might imagine she envisioned such an occasion in her dreams… which, it turns out, she had just two months earlier in her creative studio home in Los Angeles. As she discussed her latest Paris show, she exuded a most irresistible je ne sais quoi – the byproduct of a life surrounded by dynamic artists and intellectuals.
Known for her stunning images of the female body, the free spirited Brutian, has always embraced the uninhibited feminine in her work. Exhibiting in a place as elegant and embodied as Paris, therefore, is perfectly apropos.
Growing up in an extremely academic household in Armenia – her father was a celebrated non-formal logician – Brutian preferred the mystical realm of her aunt’s art studio. “I used to love to sit in there, basking in the beautiful light and smelling the paints, and watch her be so free,” she remembers. She also praises music as a source of creative inspiration, so it comes as no surprise that she fell in love with cinematography at a very early age.
Brutian spent her middle school years devouring scripts as literature, and laughingly recalls sneakily watching Last Tango in Paris on repeat far before her parents would have approved. This sparked her love affair with the work of Bertolucci, an influence evidenced in the sensuality and rawness of her work. Despite her early passion, she would take a detour before ultimately claiming her creative calling.
Torn between pursuing studies in film and psychology, Brutian opted for the latter, crediting the superior nature of the psychology program. She became a licensed therapist, and her decision proved useful when she and her family moved to the U.S. in the mid-aughts. The emotional demands of the job she secured as a social worker began to weigh heavily, even though, as an immigrant, she appreciated the ability to support her family. “I can’t stand static,” she explains, “for me it is a kind of death. I need movement. Meaningful art moves me, and I need movement in life for it to stay meaningful.” Determined to break free of what felt like a stationary existence, Brutian devoted her free time to photography. “I couldn’t live without it,” she says, “it was my therapy.” Her optimistic outlook and energetic nature eventually landed her a stint honing her photoshop skills at a post-production studio, and from there she managed to transition her career to her first love, photography.
Deeply passionate and curious about the world around her, Brutian finds inspiration in people she encounters. “I see someone on the street and I get so inspired – seeing different faces – that I want to tell a story,” she explains, whether the concept or the individual seed the spark. She laughs, adding that even if she ends up shooting only a person’s hand, it is all contingent upon that first visionary moment. Her open-minded approach allows her to find the most powerful moments while remaining sensitive to the subtleties of movement that impact the visual narrative. Given her fascination with the fluidity of shape, music continues to inform Brutian’s approach and shape her storytelling.
A woman who deeply respects the beauty of the female form, Brutian unapologetically embraces femininity and celebrates it in her work. She regards her models as muses with whom she often repeatedly collaborates. “I am not afraid to be vulnerable about the fact that I appreciate the appreciation of women and think it’s more valuable to complement a woman herself as opposed to her dress,” she explains. Her admiration for the female is not based upon aesthetics, but an internal essence. She finds today’s cultural emphasis on trying to find equality of respect for women can sometimes detract from honoring feminine nature itself. She clarifies that she fully endorses equality of the sexes but wishes to highlight the power of feminine energy no matter what role a woman plays in society, be that mother or sister or creator.
While her images have made their way into magazines such as Vogue and Esquire, and her book NuClear – featuring a collection of her work – can be found at the prestigious Hauser And Wirth, she believes that exhibitions are the heart of a photographer’s career. Such events allow for them to remain connected to the artistry itself, while continuing to explore differing sources of illumination. And there is, in her opinion, no place more revelatory than Paris, where her current exhibit – part of a group exhibition including renowned photographers from around the world – provides a wonderful excuse to fill her creative well. She finds unending inspiration in the streets – the people, the architecture, the life in the cafés. She feels a sense of home being in Paris, and feels it adds a layer to the raw nature of her process.
A storyteller through and through, Brutian manages to convey dynamism through her mastery of light and texture, as well as a wonderful sense of play that undoubtedly stems from her passion for movement. The pieces on display in Paris showcase this, augmented by the presentation and pairing. A compelling image of a woman partially blocked by another person’s face – reminiscent of the film Persona by Bergman, one of Brutian’s favorite directors – is perfectly placed next to an image of a woman’s hip peeking out from an elegantly draped cloak. Each image in and of itself is sensual and erotic; the pairing suggests an intimacy that makes one think that one image could not exist without the other. This moment perfectly demonstrates the unique ways in which Brutian juxtaposes imagery in her work to cultivate compelling narrative.
Brutian’s love of contrast – exemplified in her regular use of unexpected objects in her compositions – originally led her to work only in black and white. “I thought it conveyed a great sense of drama,” she admits. While all of the pieces chosen for this particular show are in that format, she confesses she can’t decide which she loves more: black and white or color. She laughs as she remembers an early mentor challenging her, saying that he wouldn’t be fully convinced of her talent until she proved herself in color. And prove herself she has.
A true artist of human nature, Lika Brutian is a force of nature whose willingness to explore the contrasting beauty of human form inspires a sense of freedom in the viewer and an appreciation for the manifold manifestation of feminine beauty. It comes as no surprise that her work resonates globally – both in her person and her creations – which endow her with a unique perspective that upholds and transcends existing concepts of the female body. -