What do you study at the Hartford Art School and what year are you?
I’m currently a junior working for a B.F.A. in photography. I’ll be graduating in 2011.
Why photography and sculpture?
Sculpture was completely a new experience for me entering the school. I enjoy creating sculptural work but essentially I do it because for recreational reasons. It’s the complete opposite of photography and allows for my mind to think completely different. Sculpture has the capability of being therapeutic and allows for my mind to wander off and be detached from the daily commotions of life. Photography on the other hand is the opposite. It has been with me prior to entering high school when my sister allowed me to complete her photo assignments while she was going to high school. Photography allows for me to find a distinct connection with people around me. Creating photographs is addicting to me, almost like collecting baseball cards. I’ve created this self-prophecy in which I need to collect all these weird characters around New York City and have them by side, sort of a social acknowledgement of my upbringing as a New Yorker. In the case of photography I don’t think I chose to do it, it managed to find me. Photography allows for personal reflection, and although I completely value the opinion of all my viewers, ultimately I started to photograph for myself because it simply made me happy and kept my mind focused growing up. In the future I will always do photography and if my craft allows for me to make money while staying true to my myself, I couldn’t ask for more,
The whole idea of science and art side by side, working systematically together is very fulfilling. Photography is both technical and creative and without knowing one side of it
What is your current work about, any themes or central ideas?
January 12th, 2010, Ellen Carey’s “Picture Editing” class from the fall 2009 semester will be showing in Silpe Gallery at the Hartford Art School. My work, along with others students who participated in the class, will be showing. It was Ellen Carey’s first “Picture Editing” class so I hope everyone can make it and see what we’ve been working on. My current theme is anti-establishment portraiture. The direct response to the hippie movement was punk rock and rock & roll. These two groups of people are significant in our countries history because they are a reflection of the overall mood of our America at the time. I walk around New York City with my medium format Hasselblad and try to locate these sort of anti-establishment characters. After getting involved with a person in conversation I try to photograph them in the way I portrayed them. All my new work is done in color and printed in a darker, saturated tone to underscore the visual drama of my characters. The photo shoots are all brief and done one the street, unrehearsed, New York City being my backdrop for production.
Any advice for younger students interested in photography?
Giving advice to younger students is like giving them my ATM card pin; they’ll end up taking my money in the future. Just kidding. Photography isn’t like other fine arts, there’s a scientific approach as well as a technical approach. A photographer needs to constantly re-invent them selves by doing research on their peers and the art world. If you are having a mental block and aren’t sure where your photography is going the key is to keep shooting and looking at your contact sheets. You don’t know when and where the spark of inspiration will come from. Before deciding your major ask yourself why take a photograph, why not draw or paint it? Also don’t choose photography because you simply think it easier to take a photograph rather than drawing or sculpting because its not. You need to be assertive; photography takes time, patience, commitment and a tough skin
What's next for you and your work?
There are a few themes involving portraiture filtering through my mind at the time, the problem is choosing one. The anti-establishment portraiture is an ongoing project and I will continue in that area until I’ve exhausted its fullest potential. I might take a break from this particular theme when I graduate but I don’t predict an ending anytime soon. I’ll definitely continue shooting and exploring color. As for me, the future is unknown; I’m graduating in 2011 and hopefully continuing with my photography while maintaining a life-supporting job. Showing in fine art galleries is always going to be my priority and after taking a break from school I’ll go to graduate school and get a M.F.A in photography. I have two phobias; New York City rats and the future. I do have goals but not concrete plans; life can change with a snap of the shutter.