1. What does art mean to you?
Art is a very natural interest. I’ve always been intensely fascinated by those who create something from nothing, wether it’s a doodle by someone who claims they “can’t draw” or a the design of a large building. Anything that begins as a vision and becomes a reality is wildly impressive to me, which extends beyond the visual of course, but I find the products I can look at more immediately exciting. Art seems to come out of struggle and come out of excitement. Art is deemed unimportant to some as they hum iconic tunes they learned 20 years ago. A world without art would not only insanely boring, but I’d argue to some degree that it wouldn’t be livable. I’ll always admire those who choose to create.
2. Tell us about your work.
My work involves photography and video, although it leans much more toward video now. I’m fascinated with organized chaos, or movement of imagery that seems complex but ordered at the same time. I feel like it reflects but also helps metabolize a lot of my feelings about the modern world and the anxieties that come along with living in it. I feel like creating things is one of the few things I have control over, so mentally I often find it not only therapeutic, but necessary.
3.How is COVID-19 affecting you and your work?
My work is usually made in spaces where people gather. I work commercially in advertising in order to support myself. I often work with little teams of people, as well as art directors, clients, etc to crate imagery. This has been dramatically affected by COVID, where my work life has disappeared almost overnight, and I’m waiting for an uncertain resolution. I’m trying to stay motivated but right now it’s difficult to imaging where things will go if we can’t congregate in spaces anytime soon. I live in New York which is also expensive even when things are busy.
4. If you could dream what this looks like after the pandemic, what does it look like? Where is art in that? Where are you in that?
A lot of people important to me, that include all types of creators, have been impacted by this. I like to imagine everyone being able to return to normal. It pains me to think of the most interesting things about city life being decimated and returning to a more sterile version of the world. I think as vital as artists and creators are to society, they’re often the first on the societal chopping block during moments of crisis. I think the collective spirit of creators will never go away, but it might need restructuring. I hope we achieve some sort of clarity, but it’s hard to say where things will go.