Art & Life with Austen Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Austen Taylor.

Austen, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I began photography when I was about 19 years old. The summer going into my freshman year of college was a dream. Every day was filled with summer fun and adventures. I was first introduced to photography during this time. I had a friend named Ludi who is a model, and he asked me to come to a shoot with him and model. The experience of creating struck me like nothing I had ever encountered before. The rest of the summer was spent doing photo shoots, with my close friends and exploring the city. It was not until the fall of that year when I got my first camera. I had an interest in photography, but did not have the money to get a camera and did not want to burden my parents and ask them for one. I had an uncle who is a photographer and I had planned on asking him for advice on what kind of camera I should look at getting, so I could save up for the next year. When I went to talk to my uncle my little cousin, Titus, interjected and said something along the lines of “Austen wanted to know if he could borrow your camera”. I was shocked, I would have never asked my uncle to borrow his expensive camera gear. But to my surprise, my uncle not only let me borrow a camera he gave me a camera, lens, and lights. From that point on, I was shooting non-stop.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Currently, I shoot a lot of fashion photography as well as direct and edit fashion films. I like shooting fashion because it is one of the few sectors where there are almost no limits to creativity. I also think I began to shoot fashion because when I was beginning photography, I had two very good friends, Nasir and Ludi, that were into fashion and styling. We would do a lot of shoots and those shoots two to three years ago helped to shape what I like to shoot today. I like for my imagery to seem very surreal and dreamlike. I try to illustrate my alternative reality in all of the work that I create.

What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
I think the role of an artist is to translate culture into a visual, audible or physical experience. We have the tools to make visions come to life, and inspire others through our work. I would not say that the role of an artist has changed in recent years, but I do believe that it has always been the artist’s duty to illustrate their reality or be the voice for those who do not have one.

I believe that it is impossible for any artist to be unaffected by world issues. I see issues in society, interpret them, and I incorporate it into the work that I do. I feel that as an artist, I represent my culture and I must accurately depict that in the projects I choose to create. There is a quote from a theorist named George Gerbner that I think applies to all artists. In Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory he stated, “Whoever tells the stories in a culture, controls the culture”. We have the power to be the voice. Therefore, it is our duty to use our platform to represent our culture as best as possible.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Currently, I post all of my work either on my Instagram page (austentaylor_) or my website (austentaylor.com)

Contact Info:

• Website: austentaylor.com
• Email: TaylorPhotographyDIM@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austentaylor_/

Image Credit:
Kimberly Coulton
Sarah Templeton
Estphanie Nunez
Mia Hannah
Xenon & Loki
Leah Marie
Lyncoln Presley
Gordo Williams
Alisa Seripap
Jack Connolly
Nicole Gilbert
Sharon Heaton
Ludi Johnson
Nasir Thompson
Yemage Omer
Karo Durojaiye
Kofo Durojaiye
Chaiker Francis

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