LAUREN McCANN

Name: Lauren McCann
Age: 20
Country: United States
Website: www.flickr.com/photos/little-branches

At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I think I shot my first roll of film at age four. It mostly consisted of my parents' and their friends' crotches and bums because that was about eye level back then. I like to take photos to document my life.

What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
My friends are super, and I'm always inspired to take photos of them. They're pretty. Otherwise, magazines and the internet are wonderful sources of motivation for me.


If you had to put up one piece of artwork on your wall and stare at it for a year, who would it be by and why?
It would have to be a drawing by my friend Acorn (http://flickr.com/photos/acornsgrow). His art is amazing and so detailed that every month I could probably find a new little bit that I never noticed before.

Tell us about your creative process.
I don't think I have a creative process. I'm not that creative. The photos I take aren't really planned, unless I'm alone and feel like taking a photo. At those times I usually just turn on the self-timer or take a picture of the view outside my window or something.

Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
There's definitely a connection between my life and my "art." My photos are bits of my life.

As an artist, are you technical or passionate?
I'm definitely not technical. My photographic knowledge is really limited, even after years. So I guess I'm passionate by default.




Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
I have no set boundaries, but I'd probably be resistant to something like nude self-portraits, as I don't want my mom or grandma to have to see that, you know.

What frightens you most about your art?
I don't think I consider my photos to be art. If I did, then maybe I'd have something to be frightened about.

Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
I really don't. Usually the cure comes when I say to myself, "What the hell, Lauren? Take a picture why don't you. It's been weeks."

Do you dream about your artwork?
I dream about the people I take pictures of.




Which art mediums and brands do you prefer to use?
I can't draw at all, or sculpt or anything like that. Photography has always been more enjoyable to me. I mostly use a Canon Rebel K2 with generic 200 speed film or a Polaroid camera with 600 film. I have a myriad of other cameras, but I only seem to get through about half a roll before I resign them to the bottom of a drawer. I really ought to finish all those.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
I took a photo and communications class for one semester in high school, where I learned how to develop my own pictures. Other than that, I've never taken any art classes. It's not important for me personally (I don't think I'd enjoy art school) but for other people I'm sure it's great.

What kind of career do you ultimately want? And what kind of career do you think you'll end up having (or already have) realistically?
I don't know what kind of career I want. Probably not something in art; that's kind of unrealistic, and I don't think I'm as passionate about it all as I would need to be to have success.



Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
I would like to get more involved and motivated about photography, maybe get in more publications and do more things like this, because I can be kind of shy about my photos.


Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
My best friend Hayley is my hero.