Sono Stata Trovata, Rinata
Photographer: Dylan Greene
1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?
I only recently realized my imagination is uncommonly visual. I can actually see the photos in my mind days before the shoot, like a movie reel playing that I can manipulate and change before me with my eyes open. Ideas just hit me out of nowhere, and other times, I actively build everything in my mind, changing lighting, outfits, and locations until it feels right. I’m also sensitive to visual and audio stimulation. Something beautiful will make me feel alive, light, and safe. Art that doesn’t resonate actually feels physically painful and can even make me nauseous. But it adds so much beauty to how I experience life. Art is a physical experience for me.
2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?
I worked with model Grace Smith from Natural Models on a dream project I called the ‘Denim Monster’. On the day of the shoot, Elizabeth Kyanak and I pieced together the entire outfit by hand using strips of denim and baby pins. Elizabeth designed pieces like a denim choker on the spot that was better than I could have imagined. The value of combining skills was a thought that I avoided until I worked with these two, who are on another level entirely at their craft. It was the first time I had the courage to attempt to make what I saw in my mind a reality.
3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?
I’m learning to trust myself. Honestly, impostor syndrome is a real challenge. Every shoot seems to stretch me. Sometimes I wonder if my ideas are any good or if I’m wasting people’s time. It’s a constant struggle discerning value between what I think will be liked and received, versus what I believe is true to myself or unique to my own style. I fear failing those I work with, which can leave you paralyzed. We often care more about our work than others do. We have an emotional relationship with our art. It’s best to just keep taking the next baby step of working towards creating your dreams.
4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?
I’m pretty hard on myself and always see stuff I want to improve. But what really stands out is managing to take a lackluster situation and turn it into a memorable image. Like, most of the time when I shoot, they are terrible conditions.
5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?
My overarching goal is to get an invitation to be a photographer on models.com. I started out modeling in 2016, and Blake Ballard quickly became my favorite photographer. The way he creates an image is unique as he has immense vision about what he’s creating. I’ve shot with him four times, and those experiences shaped how I see fashion and how I operate. I feel like I’m chasing his shadow in a way. He works efficiently and cranks out several different lighting setups on the fly. In my 9 years of being in the industry as a model, I’ve never seen someone do it all himself. No assistants. No stylists. Just a retoucher. Since then, I’ve been determined to make my own mark. I’m still finding my lane. I’ve come far for someone who’s only been at this for a year. I’m beyond honored to be featured on the cover of MOB. It's one small step towards my dream, and I couldn't be more grateful.
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The pathway to beauty does not purely reside in the conventional, but also in the unexpected, the imperfect, and the radically original parts of who we are. In those spaces we see facets of who we are through our expression of self, our very being, our presence.
Beauty is not to be confined or defined, but rather shared and experienced. True beauty is not in our perfection. It is found in our oneness, the truest versions who we are.
Sono stata trovata, rinata / I was found, reborn
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Photographer: Dylan Greene
Wardrobe Stylist/Model: Abe Lindley
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Vintage Thrift