Frankenstein, a childhood photo of himself, and the Hollywood sign are all depicted alongside each other in Kentucky-born artist John Brooks’ 38-panel artwork “Islands Are Not Forever.”

The artwork contains massive panels portraying nude figures, pop culture icons and personal memories, all of which reinforce the central theme of memory and our past experiences. Beginning in August of 2023, Brooks states that the artwork will continue until he dies and it will continue to shift and adapt to his current life and memories. 

A drawing that took a lifetime to create

28 panels will be on display at the Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio from Jan. 30 to Mar. 15. As Brooks continues to add more panels to the piece, the overall meaning changes as more details are added.

“Islands Are Not Forever” uses photography in a collage format to piece together different aspects of Brooks’ life into one piece. The title, which comes from the poem “Summer” by W.S. Merwin, encapsulates the longevity of our memories and what we will forget and what will become a formative part of our identities. 

“I like the idea of using something that has a history and something that has a weight and recontextualizing that in an effort to create some kind of new narrative, or the hint of a narrative,” Brooks said. “I’m interested in feelings, really. That’s kind of what the human experience is based on.

While the drawing depicts a multitude of ideas and symbols, they are all equally important to one another. Each figure holds some form of symbolism, whether it be personal to Brooks or a widely known symbol in modern-day culture. A common question he is asked is “what’s happening,” but the artwork is left for the viewer to use their own interpretations and meanings. 

“It’s not a math problem, there’s not an answer. I think it’s totally natural and understandable for people to look at the work and to want to know what’s happening. But I think of the work as having the hint, or the sense of a narrative, rather than a particular narrative,” Brooks said.

He states that the work has been described as “non-hierarchical,” meaning that the details complement one another, rather than attempting to battle for the spotlight. By placing these motifs beside one another, the narrative is built upon rather than becoming more convoluted. 

Southern artistry is as important as ever

Queer artists from the South will always be important, Brooks notes. In a time of such political division, it is necessary that the artists understand their roles and that they continue to create in such uncertain times. 

“I understand how frustrating and demoralizing it can be sometimes living in a place where it feels like you’re working so hard to make things better and so many people are opposing you,” Brooks said for Southern artists. “I just want to emphasize how important it is for that to happen.”

As Brooks’ artistry progresses and evolves, he states that he embraces the uncertainty of his career and how that will guide him in his future pieces. That theme is depicted within “Islands Are Not Forever,” as each new panel that is added to the overall work will change how it is seen and will add context for earlier panels. 

“As a person who is interested in living, I think to deny what’s happening in your work is not responsible. As my work got more personal in the last 7, 8, whatever years, it has become queerer. This work, and these drawings, are very queer. There are queer icons, there are queer people of all different types, there are non-queer people,” Brooks said. “I feel like the work, just as it exists and as it presents itself, is very openly queer and that is something that feels necessary.”