Brittany Fanning grew up in Florida, bitter from sunburns and fearing alligators. She studied fine art in Dahlonega, Georgia where she was heavily influenced by Appalachian artists and their painterly figurative work. She then moved to South Korea, where she began painting the neighborhoods of Seoul.
In 2020, Brittany began working on more narrative focused paintings. Sometimes pulling compositions from photographer Slim Aarons, Brittany juxtaposes serenity with chaos. Typically a figure sits in the foreground, enjoying a glass of wine or admiring her cat, while a volcano erupts or a fire tornado whirls towards her. Blissfully unaware or simply just used to it. Each scene contains a wry sense of humor and a guilty appreciation for luxury fashion.
Growing up in Florida instilled a particular fear of alligators in the artist. She began including them in her work as an object of alarm for foreboding danger in an otherwise tranquil setting. Overtime, she grew to appreciate the patterns and colors of the reptiles. Now they act as a more positive motif in her work.
After spending 2020 inside her Seoul apartment, it’s evident that much of Brittany’s work is heavily inspired by media consumed during the pandemic; Quentin Tarantino films, comedians, true crime podcasts and 90’s hip hop.