Working Hands
In your own opinion, what does it mean to be an artist?
I believe an artist is an individual who has the ability to harness their own creativity in a unique and inspiring way. They are impactful through their pieces and strive to reach a particular audience through their work. An artist is someone who can turn a vision into reality, who goes against the grain and paves their own path away from societal norms. An artist has no boundaries when it comes to expressing individuality or originality. Whether their craft be music, drawing, painting, photography, sculpting, woodwork, artists are our future. They are people whose innovative imagination has the potential to influence populations, cultures and trends. An artist is never discouraged or restricted by the standards created by mankind. Most importantly an artist is mindful and methodical of the message they intend to project out into the world.
Artist Statement
I am fascinated with the world around me, everybody has a different, interesting story. I wanted to capture some of the countless professions, passions, and interests of people in my community to gain a better understanding of the complexity of humanity and what makes us unique. Our hands we often take for granted. It becomes easy to overlook advantage when it is always in plain sight. My mission is to remind people of how beneficial our hands are in our everyday life by highlighting some of the amazing ways we may use them whether it be pursuing a career, or fueling a passion.
I made my theme “working hands” become a reality by dialing in on overlooked, everyday occurrences. I placed myself in the shoes of each photographed scenario, each pair of hands represents a life, someone's livelihood and a background worth acknowledging. My approach consisted of analyzing and coming up with the best way to photograph people in their craft that would do their story justice. I worked with new angles, used different camera lenses and uploaded the images to lightroom to bring out the textures, life and narrative each photo embodies.
Beyond Visual Arts
As my love for photography continues to grow I noticed that I have become increasingly more fixated on the people, environment and atmosphere surrounding me. Several new artistic attributes pertaining to myself have been unveiled throughout my exploration of photography these past few years. It is rare I go anywhere without my camera and I am always searching for opportunities to harvest memories or challenge my creativity in new ways. The first time I snapped a photo on my Canon EOS Rebel in 2018 a whole new realm appeared before me, a passion was fueled. Photography is my safe haven, it is a way for me to channel my inner artistry free from judgment since beauty in the art world is subjective. The world is my muse, I see life through a new lens and find charm in even the smallest, seemingly insignificant moments. I am more appreciative of the life that encapsulates me, the trees, ocean, sand, summer breeze, the rarity of rain in southern California, and even the lives of strangers around me. Photography is an incredible passion of mine that I aspire to one day share with the world.
