Jeff Brackett

Jeff Brackett examines the intersections of art and spiritual practices through repetitive line drawing. He is a native of Southern California with degrees from University of California, Santa Barbara, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Pittsburgh. As an award-winning Religious Studies professor at Ball State University, he taught courses about Hinduism, Buddhism, and Religion and Pop Culture for seventeen years. His artwork also draws from three years of living in India for intensive studies in language and culture.

“I draw a single line, followed by innumerable other lines that morph into a unique image. My emphasis on patterns and precision comes from having Asperger Syndrome, which presents itself as an ability to do repetitive line work for hours on end. Creating repetitive lines and patterns in my work calms any Asperger-related anxiety I may be experiencing.

“Through the use of these simple, repetitive ink lines, I explore the balance between calming and disorienting patterns. At times, my ink lines meander freely, creating a sense of calm. Other times, my lines are frenetic, verging on the chaotic. Traversing the space between each mode of working helps me to slow down, savor the details, and discover complexity within simplicity.”

In late 2020, Jeff learned of his Asperger Syndrome profile and began merging the ability for extreme focus it grants him with Buddhist themes in a meditative drawing practice. His 2021 solo art exhibition, “Forgetting the Ox,” at Gordy Fine Art highlighted this work about his personal artistic and spiritual practice. 

Jeff also works as a writer and addressed the role of spirituality in his art-making in “Mandalas, Meditation, and Mindful Mark-Making,” published by the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies in 2018. His current book project is tentatively titled, Zen and the Artful Buddhist: Asperger’s, Art, and Academia.