Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Stoddard.
Alex, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I picked up a camera around age 16 while living in rural Georgia. I spent a lot of time alone in the forest behind my parents’ home growing up and found inspiration in my natural surroundings, first photographing the trees and rivers and then moving on to photograph myself amongst them. Soon, I was creating elaborately staged photographs of myself, dressing up in vintage clothing so as to portray characters in different scenarios. I began sharing the images online and quickly developed an audience, which led to jobs and opportunities that took me around the world in subsequent years, creating work for book covers, musical artists, and gallery exhibitions. After high school, I relocated to Los Angeles, where I continue to create in my own stylized, fantastical style.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a photographer inspired by art history in the digital age. My work explores concepts of fantasy and surrealism within portraiture, as well as the human form and its connection to nature. I am self-taught and rely on my eye and natural instinct when creating. My style is characterized by simple compositions that frame deeper, more universal themes. My main motivation, even on commissioned jobs, is always self-expression. I love to explore the darker sides of the human experience, allowing myself (or the subject, if it isn’t a self-portrait) to become vulnerable within the scene and expose a part of my/themselves through playing the role of a character in a made-up scenario. Often the faces of my subjects are blurred or hidden from view, as I like to allow the viewer to imagine himself or herself as the subject in the scene and feel the emotion more personally.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I think a lot of artists struggle with finding their own voices in a sea of endless images. We are constantly inundated with pictures and noise, so it’s difficult for some to tune that out and focus on creating from within, rather than mirroring what they see around them.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
To keep up with new pieces being published, follow me on Instagram at @alexbstoddard. I will be publishing my first art book later this year, with an accompanying exhibition in Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexstoddard.com
- Email: info@alexstoddard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbstoddard/
Image Credit:
All images copyrighted by artist Alex Stoddard
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