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A San Diego native, Brooke’s love affair with glasswork began at age 15 when she began glassblowing under the instruction of Andy Cohn in Balboa Park, San Diego. After graduating from the University of San Diego, Brooke headed north to earn her MFA at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. There, she had her first taste of neon as an elective course with Bill Concannon. It was an instant match—neon art married her design roots with hot glass and flamework. After 8 years working as a graphic designer in the Bay Area, Brooke moved to Los Angeles. She quickly found her tribe at MoNA, the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA. Under the instruction of Lyle George and David Johnson, Brooke couldn’t satisfy her appetite for neon. 

Look for multiple layers of meaning in Brooke’s work; she draws from personal experience, music, film, nature, art history, and modern design. She wants her audience to see the technical proficiency in her pieces, but also find her deeper inspiration. You can keep an eye on Brooke’s work through photos and videos on social media as she documents her successes and the trial-and-error in each piece.

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Despite covering less than 1% of the Earth’s surface—coral reefs harbor the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally, yet they are among the most threatened. They directly support over 500 million people worldwide providing important shoreline protection and critical food security.

According to UNESCO, “Coral reefs are the major witnesses of climate change,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “The health of our planet and the future of our humanity can be seen today in the poor condition of these reefs.”During the 2014-2017 global coral bleaching wave, at least 15 World Heritage coral reefs were exposed to repeated, severe heat stress, with some of the highest mortality rates ever recorded. Coral bleaching and mortality due to heat stress is expected to continue with greater intensity in coming decades, unless carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are significantly reduced.

Through viewing my art, my hope is that we all take pause to remember the beauty and importance of our oceans—whose survival hangs in a delicate balance affected by our actions.

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MONA: What inspired you to create and/or design this artwork?

BB: I learned to scuba dive when I was younger, eventually becoming advanced certified to 100 feet. Being able to stay under the surface longer is an incredible experience. You're able closely view and appreciate the coral reef structures, their beautiful array of colors and patterns and all the alien-like lifeforms they protect and sustain. 

This piece is the second in my series Ripple Effect. The first piece in this collection is entirely colorful and healthy, while this one is only halfway. The pattern is abstract—representing a small section of brain coral. The white tubes represent coral that has been bleached because of severe heat stress and environmental impact. The colored tubes represent a healthy, vibrant coral reef. The animation pulses on and off, giving the impression of slow breathing or a heartbeat. The frame surrounding this piece is dark and rectangular, similar to looking inside a coffin without a lid.

MONA: What was the process of designing and/or creating this artwork like for you?

BB: The learning curve for this piece was steep. I pushed myself to try things I had never done before, and didn't know if I could do. Overall it took me many months to complete. What began as a challenging pattern, became a multi-level piece with 6 animation settings, including a dimmer and speed adjustment. This was my first time animating a piece. I designed the sequences in Adobe AfterEffects, then built graphs to represent these animations, and eventually worked with Tech22 to make my vision possible. There were many learning experiences throughout and I’m thankful for all the support along the way!

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“Ripple Effect” is designed to be a multi-panel piece inspired by our oceans treasures, coral reefs in particular. The first panel (shown here) is glistening with life and vibrant color when lit. The later panels will be focused on coral bleaching and the future of our oceans if we aren’t aware. Thanks to a Blue Planet binge sess, I was horrified to learn that some scientists predict that by the end of the century, coral reefs as we know them could be a thing of the past. I plan to donate a portion of the sale of this piece to a nonprofit saving coral reefs and cleaning our oceans. As an individual, I often feel overwhelmed by politics and my ability to make a change. Neon is my voice and one of the ways I hope to give back and inspire change.

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“All that Glitters” was inspired by everything I felt going through my double mastectomy surgery and witnessing my moms stroke recovery simultaneously. What was once important suddenly became meaningless. What really matters is the people we have in our lives and the relationships that surround us. The cracked mirror reflects my shattered self at the time—still appearing whole at work and events, but fractured and fragile up close. The “Selfie” named font plays on all that is superficial and made to appear “gold”. A huge thank you to the Museum of Neon Art, David Johnson, Kim Koga, Lyle George and Mike McCalla for their help along the way - and to all my friends and family for their support and love in the darkest times.

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With a nod to The Shining—one of Brooke's favorite movies, “All Work and No Play” was born from her experience as a designer unfulfilled creatively.

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