Another artist of many trades and based in Copenhagen, Guilia is a “visual artist and social documentarist exploring identity, belonging, myths and beliefs through photography, film and writing.”. She has received awards in photography, writing, and storytelling. Shes been featrued in Vogue Italia, National Geographic Italia, Wallpaper, Avant Garde Mag, British Journal of Photography, and several others. Though her photos aren’t staged and are fairly recent, they emanate a tired nostalgia. Maybe its the soft light or muted colors, but what sticks out to  me most is subject matter. Quiet, unassuming souls. Whether they be young, asleep, or well lived, the subjects of her photos are quieted in a way that makes the viewer feel quiet too.

A self taught photographer to me is someone with such great drive to create that nothing will stand in the way. Some major publications that have recognized this and her successes are BLINK, CNN photo blog, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, Le Monde, Courrier International, D di Repubblica, and Esquire. If photography is meant to transport you,  then Guia has mastered this. When I see her work I feel like i am part of something of a fairy tale, and a twisted one at that. Bold and imaginative, she crafts every shot with a carefree precision. It’s as if everything knows it’s place in the shot, but the energy is so hopeless and raw.

Based in Melbourne Austrailia, performance and gesture is her most explored idea. Her work has been seen in Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), the National Gallery of Victoria, Monash University, the Abbotsford Convent, Sutton Project Space and the Substation, Melbourne. Recently the specificity of her works from exploration to documentation of feminist theory through the female body, and domestic / institutional spaces. When I see her work i think blank canvas, openness, and anonymity. Greys and whites are most often used and create a sense of sterilization in a  way, which is complimented to the photos often faceless nature.

Another Italian artist, this time this photographer is a London based recent graduate. Her main goal as a human with a platform to speak is visual activism  to fight for gender equality and social justice . She is strongly involved and informed by the feminist theory and though her models capture ordinary people she makes sure they are of different backgrounds, experiences, and stereotypes. This all works to create an inclusive and diverse world.I most admire that she calls her work her practice, leaving endless room fro growth.

Utilizing photography and video to complete personal projects and commissioned work, she is a world traveler currently in Russia where she was born. In her personal work she focuses on “collective identity and hesitations that arise between a desire to keep your own individuality and be accepted by your community.”. Experimentation and intentionally challenging herself is part of her routine in order to question her own identity as well. Her further exploration of herself as a photographer and human being along with her versatility and breadth if knowledge as a photographer is her path to success. Another day in a romanticized reality that we can only wish to see depicted.

I wish I had the words to express my admiration for Luca’s work. As a film director, producer, and screenwriter he has been praised for many a film. He has been involved in feature films, short films, and advertisements. In addition he is an interior designer which has helped with his on set visions. The most well known of his films is his most recent Call Me By Your Name which he and the cast gained critical acclaim and accolades. It is the third and final film in his Desire Trilogy or as he calls it “another movie about rich people lounging by the pool.”. Though all three films do have a similar scene, they are far more than that. They aren’t connected in story-lines per se but his approach to the films is their glue. The romantic dilemmas and overall stylistic choices link them, and the high highs and low lows found in the experiences of every character are the essence of desire. Luca Guadagnino has a number of other phenomenal and beautiful films that aid in my admiration of him, but this trilogy is the thought and care and time that went into its completion is utterly inspiring it it of itself.

She was there for the young punk rock days including images of Blondie and the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello at CBGBs, and Richard Hell in Lower East Side, adn Debbie Harry. She has taken portraits of Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, The Clash, the Damned and X-Ray Spex, and shot record covers for The Ramones, Johnny Thunder & The Heartbreakers and Richard Hell, and was the chief photographer for Punk magazine from 1976 forward.  The New York City punk scene was captures through her lens, and was some of the greatest of the time. The it-girl of punk rock photography, now that would be a magnificent title to have.

Though he aims to shoot commercially, he shows appreciation for the intimacy he had with his lens when shooting in a more artistic manner. He also values motion in his work, creating dynamism and pushing his creativity past still lives. Pushing past boundaries and creative thresholds is where the magic is made for Jonathan and i’m sure a multitude of artists and creatives conquer. Beyond that, he pull inspiration and influence from painters and filmmakers as well as storyboards. His images are carefully curated and planned in advance so on set he can ease into a shot. Shooting on film is just another unique quality of him and his process that allow him to put so much care and precision into his art.

Nostalgia is a feeling that sticks with us. Right off the bat at the beginning of her career Kelia said “I have an immeasurable desire to illustrate my youth: weekends, lovers, ex-lovers, and a glamorized idea of the pain and glory that comes along with remembering.” . This is what many consumers of art are searching for. The romanticized nostalgia of her past drives the future of her artistic endeavors. Particularly heartbreak is something that reaches in some capacity or another and as she states harmoniously “an end to something lovely always provides the most feeling. It’s the most heavy, beautiful, and raw stuff to draw from.”. She is a SCAD Graduate currently based in London with an internship at Hill & Aubrey.

“I always want to show the world how I see it: quiet, calm and bathed in good light,” She says. This resonates with me still. Golden light encapsulates my everyday at the same time, and every day I am no less amazed by the way it ceased my attention. When I initially saw a small sampling of her images I thought wild wild west. Come to find out the American West is a muse of hers. She has an  ongoing project The 35th Parallel, in which she explores this well traveled slice of civilization. Following an internship that aided her in developing her own practice, her attention to detail and incessant intention dubs each image a portrait and locks in her idea of being “grounded in reality [but with] a fictional, cinematic feel.” Her client list includes A+E Networks, Bloomberg Businessweek, ELLE, The FADER, Fast Company, Monocle, The Cut: New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue, Vogue Germany, W Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, and Yahoo! Style.