Brennen Steines (BFA 2018, Painting & Drawing) spent his early life hunting for rocks and exploring the terrain in northern Illinois. He carried that childhood interest in the natural world into adulthood, creating work focused on physical materials and the alchemical properties of painting.
“Growing up, there was a grass field behind my house. Many of my formative childhood memories were spent playing back there, imagining different worlds, digging holes in the ground, and searching for different rocks,” Steines said. “I would excavate a stone and find a small fossil in the rock. It evoked a kind of mystery, this idea of absence and presence, of what has been lost and what traces remain. This is the cornerstone of my work.”
On October 7, the Yale graduate and prolific artist will reflect on his creative path during the Artists Now! Guest Lecture series.
Steines’ abstract paintings use metallic elements, layered techniques, and material compounds to mimic geological structures. Working with metals, oil paints, and emulsive solutions, Steines explores the language of abstraction through the physical properties of materials.
“My paintings examine the material properties of painting, and its correspondence with time, process, and the language of abstraction. I’m really interested in the relationship between our perceptions and cosmic time,” Steines said. “Thinking about our own lifetimes in relationship with geological time and how they speak to the divide between these micro and macro situations.”
Choosing a life in art
While Steines’ work draws heavily on the natural world, his path to becoming an artist was shaped by pivotal experiences in his personal life.
After being hospitalized for 81 days following a near-death experience, Steines decided to pursue a career in the arts. He first came to UWM intending to become an art therapist, but after his sister’s passing, he reconsidered what he wanted from his career.
“I wanted to be an art therapist because art had done so much for me,” Steines said. “When my sister passed away, I decided to double down and said, ‘Life is short. What do I really want out of this life?’ So, I went full tilt into being an artist.”
While studying at Peck School of the Arts, Steines found a home in Milwaukee’s creative community and developed relationships that continued beyond his time at UWM.
“I really loved my time at UWM. Between classes and meeting great people who are still my friends, I met people who were instrumental in my understanding of art, and I learned about myself too,” Steines said. “I am really grateful for my time in Milwaukee. It is a very wonderful place with many creative people.”
Now, Steines plans to use his Artists Now! Lecture to share how he made the transition from art student to working artist.
“I want to talk about my experience being a young artist and how I went from being undergrad to being a professional artist,” Steines said. “I want to share the trajectory of my path because I was once in their position, and I remember trying to figure out where I would go.”
More information about Steines’ Artists Now! Lecture is available on the Peck School of the Arts events calendar. To learn more about his work, visit his website.
Story by Payton Murphy ’28 (BFA Film)