“Fandom Fusion” art contest winner opens up about art process, passions, and more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month, Rehmann and the Detroit Red Wings were pleased to announce the winner of their joint art contest, Fandom Fusion, which officially launched in late November of last year. Breanna Zaborowski of Brighton, Michigan won $5,000 and four Detroit Red Wings tickets for her 24” by 30” piece Our Fan Family, which was recently installed in the Rehmann Club at Little Caesar’s Arena in downtown Detroit. Rehmann sat down with Breanna, currently in her second year in the Stamp School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan, to discuss her work and her process of creating this beautiful piece.  

Q: When did you start doing art?

A: Ever since I could hold a crayon! Honestly, I have always enjoyed thinking creatively and designing through art, whether it was with 2D drawings or collages, sculpture, or animation.

Q: Why did you enter the Fandom Fusion contest?

A: I entered the Fandom Fusion contest because the chance that my art could be hung up beside the past winners, there to cheer the team on and represent the fans, made me feel proud as an artist. Personally, I was also excited at the chance of seeing an in-person game with my family because I’d get to experience the atmosphere, the cold, and the traditions. I’ve only ever seen the Red Wings on TV, so this was so exciting for me!

Q: How did you become a fan of the Detroit Red Wings?

A: I became a fan of the Detroit Red Wings through my family, specifically my uncle and both of my grandfathers who love hockey and hardly ever miss watching a game. I rarely could walk past the television without a hockey game on and it seemed to always make its way into family conversations at holidays and birthdays, even more so because both my cousins, Liam and Brynn, are on travel hockey teams.

Q: Can you provide more context on your winning piece? Are there any artistic motifs/themes you included?

A: I really wanted the piece to feel fused together and to encapsulate everyone who loves the Red Wings whether in the crowd, restaurant, bar, or at home. Just as important, I wanted to show the love that the Red Wings have for their fans. In the bottom left, I have the closeup of a player looking out at the crowd with them reflected back in his helmet. An octopus is woven through this helmet to represent how this tradition is embedded into the Red wings now, and one of the tentacles is holding up the Red Wings’ sign and hockey sticks. I have fans holding up posters that fuse into fans watching the game at a restaurant. This then fuses into the crowd at the game in-person, cast in red lighting, with a spotlight on a hockey player connecting with the people in the crowd, handing his hockey stick over to a child. Their hands are pressed together on either side of the glass. This part was very important to me because I really wanted to show the bond between the Red Wings team and their fans, that it goes past the rink. This crowd is also holding up the giant Red Wings flag and, of course, I have octopi on the ice! The crowd fuses into the stanley cup being held up on one side by the Spirit of Detroit (because he is standing for his team!) and the other side held up by a player’s hand. The bottom right is two scenes fused into one. One side is a family and friends at home watching the game together on the couch, a classic game-day buffet behind them. The bookcase and the family on the couch fuse into players on the bench, watching the game. This scene was important because I wanted to show a mirrored motif of those watching the game on the screen and the hockey players watching the fans. Even if fans aren’t able to attend the in person they support the team just as much, and the team appreciates their fans right back!

Q: Can you explain your process of creating the piece?

A: My process included a lot of brainstorming with family and making long lists of everything I wanted to include surrounding the Red Wings (traditions, game-day clothes, types of fans, representing Detroit, signs, symbols, etc.). The composition of the piece was a scribbling process that I eventually just had to wing it on the real thing. I had a rough vision of what I wanted where, and as the process progressed, I was able to come up with more and more components to add. The most important idea in the creation was how to fuse all these parts together. I did this with color, blending, line-work, and theme. For example, the way the bar fuses into the crowd even though there are blue tones that contrast with red. Most of all, I just had fun. My thought process as I went along was sort of like, “Oh, what if I made the octopus hold a sign?” YES! “Now how do I include that…” For example, the idea of including the buffet in the at-home scene was just me having fun and thinking “What would my family do on game-day?”

Q: Is there a general emotion/reaction you hoped to draw from viewers? From Red Wings fans?

A: I’m hoping to make fans feel represented. I tried to include as many environments as I could and think of all the ways I could incorporate their support. I want fans to look at this and think “Hey, that’s me!” or “My family does that!” or “That would totally be my dad!” Most of all, I want viewers to feel the connection between them and the Red Wings team.