MEMBER FEATURE:

Our monthly Member Feature aims to showcase the talent that occupies our buildings and celebrate their work.

This month, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rockella Space Member Britt Harrison. Based at One Eyed Studios, Harrison’s practice spans sculpture, installation, and mixed media, creating evocative pieces that challenge perceptions and invite deeper engagement with the physical world.

Britt Harrison grew up along the banks of a wide, mud-red river in rural North Carolina, where the water’s serpentine form shaped both the landscape and the rhythms of daily life. The thick waters were a playground—children splashed and swam as tadpoles wiggled in rivulets, growing legs before her eyes. This ever-changing environment, rich in natural wonder, became a space of transformation. Harrison’s work captures the nostalgia of these fleeting moments under shifting pink skies, where time slowed and nature offered sanctuary for reflection.

Through painting and sculpture, Harrison explores themes of solitude, summer reverie, and the intricate relationship between humans and water. Her custom-shaped wood panels echo the organic curves of rivers, mimicking how water molds both landscapes and communities. Water, in her work, is more than an element—it is a spiritual, physical, and mystical force. It cleanses the body, but in the hands of a priest, it also purifies the soul, carrying both renewal and the weight of memory.

Harrison is drawn to both the surface and the depths, investigating the textures, patterns, and movements of water and its interplay with light and color. Rooted in both cultural lore and personal experience, her work considers water as a vessel of knowledge—where if one listens closely at the shoreline, they might hear the breath of a Siren, a whisper of the infinite wisdom that binds all living things. Now based in Brooklyn, Harrison is the founder of under the pale blue, a contemporary art gallery in New York. She holds a BFA in Painting and a BS in Psychology from UNC Wilmington, as well as an MPS in The Business of Art and Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

To learn more about the creatives who call Rockella Space home, head over to the People page for a full list of in-depth interviews.

Photo by by Ashley Munro

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Britt Harrison, and I’m an artist and curator originally from a small town outside Winston-Salem, NC. I moved to Los Angeles in 2013, a few years after graduating, and spent most of my twenties working in galleries, film, and developing my art practice. The call of New York eventually hit, and I made the cross-country move to Brooklyn in 2021. It was a rough time to relocate with the pandemic, but I’m glad I stuck it out—I’ve been able to build a unique community here.

Since moving, my work has shifted toward exploring utopic, liminal, and blissful spaces. I think this is a response to how rare serenity can feel in this city and how treasured those quiet moments become when they do appear. As much as I was eager to leave my quiet hometown, it was much easier to observe the simple beauty of nature in those spaces. I’ve been seeking to capture that feeling in my paintings.

How long have you been at Rockella Space and what is your favorite thing about having a studio at One Eyed Studios?

I’ve had a studio at Rockella for two years, and this past year I moved into a larger space with a big, beautiful window. The natural light shifts everything—my mood, my work, my energy levels. I appreciate that Rockella makes sure to incorporate natural light into their spaces, even if it’s through a skylight.

Have you connected and/or created a community with any other artists in the building?

Rockella has been really supportive of community-driven initiatives. I was able to host an exhibition in the vacant studios last year, which helped me connect with new artists and members. I’ve built a nice relationship with a few of them—we pop into each other’s studios from time to time, which has been great. Community was a big reason I wanted to move my studio out of my apartment. Making art can be isolating, so it’s been inspiring to share space and conversation with others.

A Buzzing Over Still Waters, Oil on panel, 2021, 36 x 24 in

Tell us about your work. What inspires you to create the work that you do?

I want to make work that gives the viewer space to breathe, space to feel joy or curiosity, or space to be playful. There is so much darkness in our everyday lives. I’m looking to create visions of light to help build more happiness in an overly depressed and anxious state. Making this work is an act of meditation for me. Creating art can be a form of research. I enjoy being able to work with an idea for months or even years. It’s a very special space to have the freedom to make whatever you’re curious about.

If You Want the Rainbow, You Gotta Put Up With the Rain, 2025

Oil on custom-designed panel 6.5 x 11. 5 x 1.5 in.

How do you start a work? Tell us about your process.

When designing a wood panel, I usually start by sketching a few concepts and narrowing down interesting shapes. From there, I recreate and refine the forms in Illustrator. Digitizing the work opens up another layer of experimentation. Once finalized, the shapes are sent to a fabrication shop to be cut using a CNC machine. I design the panels with a hollow cradle—so the edges are supported and the structure isn’t just a heavy block of wood. The elements come back as a frame and a face, which I assemble and coat with a few layers of gesso. That becomes the base for my paintings.

Photo by Jarid Blue

Your art is described as capturing the essence of a blissful, endless summer and evoking nostalgia for carefree moments. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this theme and how it influences your creative process?

We don’t often get the luxury of abundant time—the kind where your toes sink into the sand and you can stare at the ocean without thinking about your schedule or the pile of unread emails. In those rare moments, time stretches. You feel in tune with your surroundings. We don’t give ourselves that gift enough. I want my work to hold those little moments of bliss. I think they are incredibly vital.

Inside the Pulse Oil on panel, 2023, 24 x 24 in.

Your work often features vibrant gradients and serene dreamscapes. What draws you to these visual elements, and how do you believe they contribute to the overall message or feeling of your art?

There’s nothing more peaceful to me than a smooth gradient. It mirrors the shifting tones of the sky—subtle, quiet, and constant. My work is about ease and softness. I try to hide my brushstrokes as much as possible, so you can just sink into the scene without focusing on how it was made. As my practice evolves, my work becomes more minimal. I’ve grown to appreciate the challenge of isolating a single feeling or idea without overcomplicating the execution.

We Felt It Was Real, Yet We Were Naked in the Sand, Oil on custom panel, 2024, 36 x 32 x 2 in.

You mention that humans have formed a spiritual, physical, and mystical connection to bodies of water. How do you aim to convey this connection through your art, and what emotions or experiences do you hope viewers will resonate with?

Water is a beautiful container of life. It holds entire ecosystems, fuels our bodies, and connects all living things. While it’s a physical necessity, I’m also fascinated by how different cultures assign deeper meaning to water—reshaping its weight through ritual and symbolism. Take holy water, for example—it’s not just water, it becomes sacred through intention.

In traditional storytelling, water is often seen as a vessel of knowledge. If you listen closely at the shoreline, you might hear the breath of a Siren—a reminder of the infinite wisdom that ties everything together. But that wisdom often feels just out of reach, even if it already exists within us.

I’ve also been thinking about the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto, who studied how water responds to words and emotions. He found that water exposed to positive words formed beautiful, symmetrical crystals when frozen, while negative words created chaotic, fragmented patterns. Since we’re made of nearly 60% water, I can’t help but wonder—what kind of impact do our thoughts and language have on us?

There’s so much to explore within this element. Whether or not all of these ideas show up directly in my work, they’re present in the studio with me.

Photo by Rush Urshel

Nature's beauty is described as a sanctuary in your work. How do you translate this idea into your artistic process, and what role does nature play in shaping your creative vision?

I get a lot of my ideas from observing nature—on runs through the park, or just noticing greenery breaking through the concrete. I probably have a thousand photos of the sky on my phone. I keep them all in their own folder. It’s a way of collecting moments of stillness and beauty, even in the middle of the city’s chaos. Nature reminds me to slow down, to pay attention. That sense of calm and quiet wonder is something I try to translate into my work—creating pieces that feel like a soft pause, a place to breathe.

Photo by John Albercio

Your art is said to invite viewers to contemplate and dream. Can you describe the atmosphere or mood you aim to create with your pieces and how you achieve this through your choice of colors, shapes, and compositions?

I tend to lean toward soft pastels—they have a calming, almost meditative quality. But I also like to introduce a complementary color in the foreground to create contrast and movement. I want the work to vibrate, to feel alive. Some pieces are so bold they’re almost hard to look at, and I like playing with that tension between serenity and intensity.

I mostly create non-representational abstract work, which leaves room for the viewer to bring their own emotions and interpretations into the piece. I’m intentional about leaving open space in the work—it creates room to breathe, pause, and reflect. I dont want to give away the answers.

Tripping Over the Moon, 2025 Oil on custom-designed panel 21 x 21 x 1.5 in

As an artist, how do you balance the meditative and serene qualities of your art with the desire to evoke emotions and provoke thought in your audience?

A lot of my work centers on serene water reflections. They’re not asking direct questions, but they create space for feelings to arise—similar to how a Rothko color field can quietly stir something in you. Sometimes, just an intense, saturated color can bring something unexpected to the surface. In that way, the work acts more like a mirror, offering viewers a chance to project their own emotions and thoughts onto it.

Bathed in Sound and Light, 2023, oil on panel, 24 x 36 in

Can you share with us a specific piece of your artwork and walk us through the creative journey behind its conception and realization? What inspired its creation, and what challenges did you encounter along the way?

As They Bathed in Color and Light is part of a series I began while living in New Orleans at the start of the pandemic. I had come across images of these stunning rainbow swamps—the surface of the water coated in oil from decaying leaves, creating this surreal, iridescent effect. What struck me was how the surface of the water became a barrier. The only way to break through it visually to see the swamp underneath was through the shadows of tree trunks and roots (knees) pushing past the surface.

The concept resonated with Jung’s idea of shadow work. During lockdown, our lives were turned upside down—what once felt important suddenly seemed artificial, and the darker, uncomfortable parts of ourselves and society were brought to light. This series became a way for me to process that shift.

It also marked the beginning of my ongoing fascination with water. I’ve since been cutting out these water pathways and shadows in wood panel. I continue to explore the interplay between surface and depth. Sometime floating on the surface is necessary. It’s a series I plan to return to—I don’t feel finished with it yet.

Current, 2025 Oil on custom-designed panel 10 x 10.5 x 1.5 in

How do you see your art evolving in the future, and are there any new themes or techniques you are excited to explore?

I’m considering incorporating new materials, like metal or ceramic, into the work. I’ve been thinking about how to add layers to create more dimension.  I’d also like to build on my woodworking skills so I can eventually cut everything in-house. I still feel like there’s a lot to explore with the theme of water, but over time, I see myself moving into fire or air.

Photo by John Albercio

What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your artwork, and what impact do you aspire for your art to have on those who engage with it?

I hope viewers take away a sense of serenity or introspection. Some of my work touches on growth, so if those feelings resonate and stay with someone, that’s meaningful to me. But even if it doesn’t go that deep—if someone just thinks the work is fun or it makes them smile—I’m happy with that too.

Soft Trickle, 2025 Oil on custom-designed panel 2 x 29 x 1.5 in

You recently curated Presence//Absence at One Eyed studios. Tell us about your curatorial project under a pale blue.

There’s so much talent in this community, and I’m focused on amplifying the voices of emerging creatives—especially women and artists of color at the beginning of their careers. My goal is to build community and create spaces for artists and art lovers to connect and grow together. I started this project in Ridgewood, but the vision is to host events nationally, and eventually, globally. One of the perks of not having a brick-and-mortar space is the flexibility—we can pop up anywhere.

If you were to invite anyone alive or dead to a dinner party, who would be on your guest list?

I’d love to sit down with Laura Owens, I had a critique with her once and she destroyed me. It was devastating at the time but her installation design is incredible. I would love to pick her brain more.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists, particularly those wanting to move to NYC, who are looking to pursue a career in the art world?

New York has so many opportunities, but it’s a tough city. It’s helpful if you have a solid portfolio under your belt before jumping in. You’ll have less time to create here than you’d like, but this city will provide lots of opportunities for growth.

What projects/exhibitions have you got coming up?

Through my gallery project under the pale blue, I’m curating an all-female and non-binary group exhibition at Rockella. I’m really excited to connect with new local artists and expand my curatorial interests. The show will open May 16 and run for a week. It will open in concurrently with Ridgewood Open Studios which Rockella is apart of. Then, I’ll prepare to head to Lisbon, Portugal, for a two-month summer art residency.

Rippled And Fine, oil on panel, 30 in

Where can people see your work in IRL or online, and how can people contact you for a studio visit?

Come visit me! You can contact me through my website – www.brittharrison.com or IG @_brittharrison_