Age: 19
Country: United States
At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I have been making things without considering them to be "art" for as long as I can remember, but my passion really bloomed at around age thirteen when I allowed myself to fall into it quickly and wholeheartedly. By the time I was fifteen I was taking photos every day with whatever device was readily available, usually my crappy camera phone.
It's hard to describe the way I see things now, but it's like I think in still images. Every moment has some massive amount of opportunity and it's often begging to be captured. If I'm compelled to create, it's because I don't want to miss any of that magic.
What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
I think I am most inspired by the day-to-day things, by fairytales and colors, childhood, fruits and flowers, too. Also, the female form.
I look up to so many different artists I would not know where to begin. Anyone with a vision is a hero.
Which influential artist would you like to ask for advice?
A rule breaker.
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 be anything created by my other half, Dimas Melfi. Everything he makes is stupendous to me.
Tell us about your creative process.
The only part of my process that doesn't change is the presence of [sometimes unwelcome] chain reactions. I have written pages and pages describing what I want to convey in just a single photo, but I'll get set up for shooting it and everything can change very quickly. I'm usually happy with the outcome, but I have so many stories that are struggling to be told. One day I'll execute more of these ideas that are already developed, but most photos I take are spur-of-the-moment kind of images I see in my mind and have an itch to see made real instantaneously. It's just something fun for me and it's different every time.
Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
Sometimes it's a little scary how they can be one in the same.
As an artist, are you Technical or passionate?
I'm not one way or the other. Of course I am passionate in the moment and sometimes there are glorious instances when decisions are out of my hands and everything just...works, but I really do put thought into what I want to be seen, even if it's just some general idea made to be elaborated upon.
How do you determine when a work is finished? Or is it ever finished?
When it looks the way it felt.
Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
No, but there are surely places I haven't thought of going yet. I'd like to go there.
What frightens you most about your art?
I am frightened by my style or the fact that I may have a style at all. There are times I feel flat, and I don't want to be pigeonholed into one kind of picture, but I have to be honest and let it all come out the way it wants to. I'm kind of dirty and rough, but that part of me hasn't really figured out how to present itself in this medium yet. It'll come. Hopefully one day I'll be content in feeling I'm showing the whole picture.
Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
Unplug everything and go outside. Walk, think. It never fails.
Do you dream about your artwork?
More often than not. My best visions come when I'm drifting to sleep. Very inconvenient!
Which of your own works are you most proud of/ is most meaningful to you and why?
I did a series in May with my friend Bekah that is special to me. She parked her car on the side of the road and we climbed up a steep slope into a secret wood with chirping birds, the greenest greenery and perfect sunlight. It was spontaneous and it looks the way it really was.
Which art mediums and brands do you prefer to use?
Instant film has always been my favorite. If I use anything else it's only for ease and reliability's sake.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
Formal education? Next to none. Learning in that setting could be important depending on what you want to do, but it isn't so much to me. There's no right and wrong when teaching yourself, something I find invaluable in personal progression. I still have so, so much to learn. I am excited.
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 want to work in fashion, whether it be as a clothing designer or photographer. I wouldn't dare dream if I didn't think both were realistic.
Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
Knowing would be no fun!
Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
Joanna Newsom, Haruki Murakami.
Joanna Newsom, Haruki Murakami.
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