COLORS: Maya is 18 year old photographer from Virginia.
When and how did you begin photographing?
Because of my Dad, I always had a little point and shoot throughout middle school. I think I had one for each year because I broke them so often, but my entire middle school experience and all of my old friends are documented because of that. Then in 8th grade, I started getting on tumblr and seeing all the pretty pretty pictures of people, places and things and wanted a camera of my own that could do that. Plus, sadly I might add, I wanted to take nice pictures of myself to post on Facebook, so I asked for a DSLR for Christmas. My parents bought me the Canon Rebel T3 and I took pictures of everything I could find. It wasn’t until I started posting the pictures on Facebook and people would comment things like “Wow, you’re actually really good at this” or “Yo, you have a talent” that I actually considered it something I’d like to get serious with. I remember I posted a picture of this food spread in my kitchen with English muffins and nutella along with some self portraits and a sad Adele lyric from “Turning Tables” because I had just broken up with my first girlfriend, and all my family and friends loved it. I liked creating things for myself and sharing them with others. It felt really great in a time where I felt really shitty. I didn’t get truly serious with photography until my sophomore year in high school when I took Photography 1 with the teacher who changed my life in the greatest of ways. It’s because of her that I’m in New York right now, pursuing a degree and a career in Photography.
How would you describe your style of photography?
I truly wish I could answer this question. Since I moved to NY a month ago, I’ve felt like I have to start from square one all over again. I know that I love taking pictures of people, I know that for sure, but I want them to say something, to tell a story. I guess what I’m leaning towards right now is story telling, fantasy, personal narratives, and one of my main goals now is to redefine beauty in the media, fashion industry, and art world.
You seem to use props often, like paint and glitter. Is there a reason for this?
YES. I live for glitter. Anybody who knows me and is in my presence for any length of time will leave me with some kind of glitter on them, guaranteed. Glitter makes my heart sing. It changes everything, it adds a sense of glamour and style, and even a sense of drag which I love. I think everything needs to be dramatic and glorious and glamourous and overdone in the most beautiful of ways and glitter just does that for me. Other things like props and paint are just my ways of telling the stories in my head. I like to create my own fantasy realms and I love body adornment. I think we’re all blank canvases and nothing is more important than expressing how you feel on that canvas, even if it’s leaving it blank. So when I throw some glitter or paint on my models, it’s a form of expression for what you can’t see inside.
What do you believe makes for a strong photograph?
This is a really hard question to answer because I feel like photography and even art itself are just so subjective. You could see a photograph and think it’s absolute shit, but I could see it and find all the beauty in the world within it. It really just depends on the person. But to answer the question, I’d have to say the message behind the photograph makes for a strong photograph.
Which artists are you most inspired by, and how do they influence your work?
I try not to draw inspiration so much from other visual artists because I find myself to be very impressionable and comparative sometimes, so I take a lot of my influence from music artists. My biggest inspiration as of late has been SZA. I did an entire exhibit inspired by 5 of her songs for my senior project in high school back in May. When my friend first sent me her soundcloud link to Teen Spirit, I was speechless. I was just like this woman is ME in music form. Her music is what I want my pictures to look like, it’s how I feel inside everyday. It’s glittery, tragic and beautiful, it tells stories, and most of all it leaves you with a sense of fantasy. Her and her music are just breathtaking to me. Another artist that inspires me is Childish Gambino. Not only did Because the Internet inspire me entirely, but the screenplay for it and Clapping for the Wrong Reasons is what really got me going with the narrative element of my work. It inspired me to write the stories that are always playing in my head, even if they don’t make sense to anyone else, and then take it a step further and create my own visuals to it. Those two are my top two favorite artists and inspirations right now, I just adore them.
On your website you wrote, “I was put on this planet with a purpose and a camera in hand.” What do you think your purpose is, and how will your camera play a role in achieving this purpose?
This changes daily. I know my purpose is to create from my experiences and give to others to help them along. I’ve had so many people back home tell me that watching me create and watching me make art and watching me fight to do exactly what I love in life has inspired them. I know that’s my purpose and I take so much pride in that because there is nothing more important than helping other people when they need it if you can. But lately I’ve been suffering from the idea that I’m not good enough, or worthy, or beautiful because of what I look like. I’m not skinny, or thin and in the world we live in, that’s all you ever see in the media or fashion world, or in art. When you don’t see any representation of who you are out there, it takes a toll on you and makes you think you’re not good enough. I want to change that with every fiber of my being. I want to give fair representation to all body shapes, sizes, forms, variations, and identities and the best way for me to do that is with my camera. Pictures allow for representation and I’m working on redefining the accepted idea of beauty with my pictures.
What do you hope your audience takes away from your work?
The concept of creation. I want my audience to know that creation is key to survival. If you’re not creating, you’re not living. You’re simply existing and life is just too short and too precious for that. I want my audience to feel inspired by the fact that anything is possible, you just have to go after it and make it happen for yourself. I want my audience to find the beauty in life after they see my work, to know that the madness we go through each and everyday is for something better, and that we can use that madness to make something great. I want my audience to feel a sense of perseverance, like they can get through any and everything and they will get through it. I want my audience to feel a strong sense of self worth and self love and self acceptance after seeing my work, and to trust their individuality. Lastly I just want my audience to know that life is so absolutely beautiful. Just beautiful and that that beauty is always there. We just need to change our perspectives to experience it.
follow Maya’s work at mayaindigo.com
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