SpencerStarnes.com

Rae Grondahl: Super Awesome.

If you haven't already, check out this girl's flickr. She's really amazing. 

 She was a featured artist earlier, but I saw this image a few hours ago and I had to feature it. It's really awesome. 

check her out write up here, and click here 

for her flickr page.

Featured Artist: Gabriela Ammann

When I asked Gabriela to be a featured artist, I asked her to make an artist's statement. She replied and expressed difficulty with such a task. Understandable, I have been trying to write an artist statement for years now. Instead, I had a quick message based Q&A with Ms. Ammann. 

Enjoy! 

What is your name, how old are you, and where to you call home?

I couldn’t keep my age in mind, but I do remember Disney! I’m from Switzerland, quite up in the north, attracted  by water. ‘Home’ often makes itself independent so I go out into nature to find me again.

What does Photography mean to you not as an artist, but as a person?

For me photography is a practice of not-knowing. At least I’m not aware of it. When taking photos my camera is hold by and connected with my soul. Photography is new start, vomit and tears of joy. 
But there are also moments I can feel my camera in my hands, in this case it behaves like a complete stranger. 

What, if anything are you trying to say with your photography? 

The truth lies beneath? I don’t know, words are too impotent to explain what is actually going on. Probably it’s up to me. We were the inventors of the mirror and money and with the way of expression ‘photography’ I can find a healthy dealing with those hate-loves. 

Do you have any other artists that inspire you?

There are so many inspiring people and their touchable wonders they thankfully managed to get out of them, like the wizards who pull rabbits out of their hats. To be an ‘artist’ is a classification. A gardener planting an apple tree in front of my eyes is both an artist and inspiration. Or the couple of bee and flower, in every sense. Friends are also artists, they do a hard and fancy job to deal with me I guess. One name: Sarah Hermans. For me she (is) does a noteworthy (he)art. I already became really really bad in remembering names. 

I realize this question is slightly Cliché, but, music is a very important part of my life. What music to find yourself listening to?

Clichés seem to be truth. Give me Bon Iver and florence and the machine. And my colors get deep. 

 What was your first camera, and what do you shoot with now? 

I had a sony digital camera with 7.2 megapixels. Then I got my canon eos450D I mostly shoot with and a Minolta XG-1. Recently I bought another analogue camera, but it’s broken, so first I have to get it repaired and then I hope we become lovers. 

 Finally, if there is anything else you would like say to my readers, please do so!

Marry the sun, buy a bike and burn your car.

If you are interested in Gabriela's artwork, please visit her flickr page.  

If anyone wants to be featured in my website, please submit your work to SpencerStarnes@gmail.com

 

 

Featured Artist: Danielle Cannuli

Earlier this week, I asked Danielle Cannuli to write an artist statement for my blog, so I could make her apart of my featured artist series. This is what she supplied to me.

My names Danielle Cannuli, I'm a Freshman Illustration major focusing on advertising and editorial works. I live in center city Philadelphia and I'm 19 years old.

"To tell you the truth I never wanted to be an artist, I wanted to make music. Unfortunately I'm not exactly the best candidate for that. So art was one of the only similar things that gave me the same vibe when I'm listening to music. That vibe is a flow, a style, and a language with visuals. Art to me is all about building up an inner feeling and expressing it out on a blank surface. I don't know how I come up with what I do, but when I hear and listen to the faces that I mark on my work I feel the emotions they went through. Art for me is about connections, connections with love and your inner thoughts. Even know that in most of my works I portray famous faces that I may never meet, its the closest thing that I have to talking with them and really understanding their art. I'm influenced by people who stand up for what they think isn't right, for something unjust. Musicians stand up for themselves in a way that lingers in peoples minds, through words. And I want to supply a visual for just that."

Yoko Ono 

 

John Lennon

 

Lady Gaga
 
 
 David Bowie 

 To see more of Danielle's work, visit her Flickr or her Deviant Art.

Featured Artist: Fabi Garcia

Today I have selected another freshman student from the University of the Arts. Fabi Garcia is currently pursuing her degree in Photography while living in Center City Philadelphia. 

 

"I'm only a student, and I really have no idea what my photographs are about as a whole. I have many ideas I have yet to produce, some related to past series, some completely new. The things I have produced...well i put a lot of thought into it. Like any photographer, color and light is crucial. Color and light is everything, actually. It is the contributing factor to the emotion I try to produce in each photograph. whimsical, disturbing, grotesque, enlightening. I do not think I could produce these words into my photographs without color and light. Another important factor is having a person in my photograph. For some reason, it is very hard for my to take a picture without a figure in them. Humans create such beautiful forms. I find it captivating. Whenever I have an idea, i almost always see a person in my shot. The person creates emotion that nothing else can, and emotion is the most important thing in my photos, it's what I want to say to whoever looks at my work."

-Fabi Garcia 

 

To see more of Fabi's work, please visit her flickr page. She has many more fantastic photos. 

 

Featured Artist: Rae Grondahl

Rae Grondahl, is a good friend of mine and fellow student at University at the Arts. She is a very talented Illustrator as well as budding photographer. Here is a small sample of her work, and at her flickr page you can find more information about her as well as more of her work.