Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Maldonado.
Jamie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As a teen, I was inspired by Spike Jonze (now an Oscar winner!) to become a photographer and to get involved in publishing. Being too poor to afford any kind of camera, I joined the high school yearbook staff my senior year. I didn’t know for sure if my staff application had been accepted until late int he summer, and I spent the entire time daydreaming and worrying about what might transpire, and how glorious it would be to be on staff and maybe get to use the coveted staff SLR (it was the film days!) maybe a few times a month. I was overjoyed to find out I had indeed been accepted, but upon entering the lab on the first day of class, the teacher shoved the camera bag at me and told me she was glad I wanted to take pictures because no one else did. I was stunned and wandered around the rest of the day with that treasured Canon EOS Rebel (the first one). The camera was upgraded to a Rebel G before too long, but I always had it with me. You’d think that my life was all about photography from that, but I actually got sidetracked into a career as a visual journalist working as a copy editor and designer for various newspapers the next several years. However, I realized my first love was still photography. I learned (slowly) that it’s most important to remember that I am valid and that I can believe in myself and let myself be a serious artist. It’s not the same as thinking I am perfect and can do no wrong – it just means I’m valid. Fast forward through more awkward growing pains and some amazing years working as an assistant to O Rufus Lovett at Kilgore College, and I’m still at the college as the campus photographer and graphic designer. Along the way, I learned how to treat myself like a valid artist, allowing me to free my creative side from the bonds of crippling self-doubt and anxiety. Most of the time.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am primarily a portrait photographer – but maybe my understanding of that has become more abstract or different over the years. I am a photographer of people in what might be called a constructed/staged/cinematic narrative fashion. My influence are more obviously Gregory Crewdson and Todd Hido, but also Deborah Turbeville, Francesca Woodman, Spike Jonze, Michael Grecco, Guzman, music such as Eisley and well… a lot more. 1990s photography, paperback book covers, 1970s-1980s “New Color” photographers, even atmospheric horror movies. I try to work in the smallest scale and most laid-back way possible. Ideally, I can manage a shoot with just myself and a model, but I do work with a couple of very trusted/compatible assistants and a phenomenal stylist (Caitlin Brax of Alex and Afton Vintedge in Tyler, Texas). Everything is about the moment of interaction between the subjects and myself/the camera/the viewer (my photographic holy trinity?) My work tends to be dark, but vibrant on many levels. I largely photograph women, but mostly because I find them to have the most interesting and rich stories, and I’m also fighting against centuries of art centered around and for men. So you could say there’s a feminist bent in there. But ultimately, what I want to come out in the images is a sense of hope and resilience. Strength in art all too often is displayed in stereotypically masculine ways. Being the son of a single mother whose grandmother also helped with parenting duties in my early years, maybe it’s that I understand the sheer willpower and emotional resolve it takes to live in this world matter far more than violent or powerful displays. My mother and grandmother will always be stronger or as strong as any man I’ve ever known. We can be strong when we are in danger; we can be strong when we are broken. We can have resilience even with tears in our eyes. I want to do my small part in redefining that concept. Yet, for all of the embellishment, I consider them honest portraits of the people on many levels. We all influence the photographs via our lens choice, lighting decisions, editing decisions, etc. What I do is basically just the same thing, but I also pay attention to other elements at play. I want my viewer to come away with feelings of resolve in the face of darkness. As the creator, I have the hardest time knowing if I am successful at that, but my subjects often tell me that is how it makes them feel. So it gives me hope that maybe I am on the right track.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
I encourage other artists to READ and RESEARCH. And equally, I urge them to BELIEVE and NEVER STOP LEARNING. I’m not trying to be annoying here, I’m emphasizing it because it is so important to know about other art and the world, and it’s so important to allow yourself to be an artist. Please note that being an artist doesn’t mean that everything you make is perfect or even good. It is, however, valid. We should always seek to improve and learn, but we need no one’s permission to pursue that as seriously and deeply as we can. We can improve our skills by reading about other artists, especially by viewing their work, researching their methods and their reasons and then putting what seems most appealing to work in our own practices. Also, THINK ABOUT YOUR WHY. And remember that your “why” is valid. And if it is deeply frustrating and hard to find, that’s ok. Seek, accept, and examine criticism, but do not take it all as fact. To quote Neil Gaiman, “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” There are many gatekeepers in art who want you out of their way. Honing the radar is difficult, but you will learn. Always press ahead and remember that you are valid, even if you have a lot to learn.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work is visible at www.jamiemphoto.com, www.instagram.com/jamiemphoto, and I also vlog mostly weekly at www.youtube.com/jamiemaldonado. I can be found at www.facebook.com/jamiemphoto/. I am also printing my first zine in late March 2019. It can be ordered here: https://jamiemphoto.squarespace.com/zines/zine-pre-order. I’ve already sold 41 copies!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jamiemphoto.com
- Email: info@jamiemphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jamiemphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamiemphoto/
- Other: www.youtube.com/jamiemaldonado
Image Credit:
All photographs by Jamie Maldonado, except portrait of Jamie Maldonado by Monet Hale and Jamie Maldonado.
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