Filtering by Category: SARAH HASTED INTERVIEW
SARAH HASTED INTRODUCES THE NEXT GENERATION: Photographer MICAIAH CARTER
“I really want my photography to be a quality platform for representation of people of color that hasn’t been seen before” – Micaiah Carter
THE FIRST TIME I saw the photography of Brooklyn based artist MICAIAH CARTER in the fall of 2016 at Parsons School of Design…I knew he was going to be successful. A self described recluse, he was not social in college, he just put his head down and quietly got to work. Mentoring and guiding him through his senior year was one of the true joys of my long teaching career. The unique gift that 30 years of experience in the art world and 16 years teaching at one of the most prestigious art schools in the world has given me, is the ability to spot artistic talent and potential - immediately.
Micaiah’s portraits are sincere, dignified representations of the sitters while staying true to his distinctive aesthetic - a modern day combination of Roy DeCarava’s poetic, lyrical, emotional photographs - and the proud, regal and formal portraits by Harlem Renaissance photographer, James Van Der Zee - all of them achingly beautiful.
The work is soft hued with a 1970’s tone and vibe that pay homage to his family history and father’s scrapbook. In some works, Micaiah consciously references his father’s early life and dated fashion and with total reverence, creates exquisite, inspired images, that can only be interpreted as stunning
Micaiah has been out of school for less than 3 years and in that short amount of time has photographed a distinguished and impressive list of celebrities, athletes, musicians, and artists: Spike Lee, Serena Williams, Taraji P. Henson, Solange Knowles, Kehinde Wiley, Zendaya, Terrence Nance, Jorja Smith, Ciara, Duckie Thot, Dev Hynes, Moses Sumney, and Cortez Kenny IV.
Navigating his young career like a seasoned artist, he has worked with: The New York Times, Time Magazine, Warner Bros Records, Epic Records, Nike, Puma, Adidas, Showtime, A24 Films, Pepsi, Converse, Apple, Vice, Afropunk, i-D, Document Journal, Elle, Nylon, Paper, V Magazine and a fashion shoot for designer, Thom Browne .
In the next 2 months alone, he will have a 12-page spread in Vanity Fair, photographs in Vogue, and GQ magazines as well as a portrait in the Wall Street Journal, simultaneously. In this day and age, photographers are no longer anonymous, they are celebrities themselves. It is in stark contrast to Michaiah's introverted nature to be front and center, but he's handling this new found success like a pro.
One of Micaiah’s many major accomplishments post graduation, was an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in February of 2018. An exciting collaboration with the sports brand Adidas, highlighting 7 black creatives who symbolize the future, alongside historical artifacts from the Adidas archive representing the past.
Walking into that museum exhibition my heart swelled with immense pride. That moment was confirmation that my first instinct on that fall day in 2016 was correct... MICAIAH CARTER is the one to watch, he is the new generation…watch him rise.
SH: Why did you choose photography as your medium?
MC : Photography was a way for me to speak without saying anything. I’m usually a timid and reserved person, so photography gave me a chance to get my voice out there without having to say it myself. Also aside from that, I love and appreciate the medium as a whole - the art of capturing a photo still fascinates me to this day. I can remember being a younger kid, begging my parents to let me use their point and shoot for a few frames when we were on family vacations. Photography gave me an outlook on life, not just from my perspective but from the world. I was always curious about looking in archives, whether it’s from my family albums or the albums of other families.
SH: What artists do you believe have had the most influence on your work, musical, artistic etc.?
MC: I feel like my Dad has had one of the most significant impacts on my work and life, he’s very militant yet very creative, and I think those two things drove my childhood and teenage years in shaping my viewpoint of the world. My parents also made sure that I knew of my history at an early age because they understood that schools did not have a full spectrum of representation within the classroom when it came to curriculum; it wasn’t until I was in my junior year in college that I found out about other black photographers in my past.
One of my biggest fashion influences was photographer Koray Birand, I loved his use of toning, and it inspired me as to what I could do with my images. Another significant impact was photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, his use of lighting and communication with subjects was stunning to me. Other powers are Carrie Mae Weems and Jamel Shabazz. I also am a massive fan of Ertha Kitt, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Kelela, Bok Bok, Budige and so many more. Music has impacted my work a lot, I can see a vision when listening to songs.
SH: Do you feel growing up in Los Angeles has had an impact on your photographic style?
MC: I for sure think that growing up in Southern California impacted the way that I see light in general. I believe that it’s scarce to get that type of light anywhere else, especially New York City, and I think it’s unique to try and pay homage to the desert light which is honestly different from any other light I’ve seen before, in all its glory.
SH: You have photographed well known actors, artists, athletes and creatives from Spike Lee, Taraji P. Henson, Kehinde Wiley, Zendaya, Solange Knowles, Terence Nance, Jorja Smith, Ciara, Duckie Thot, Dev Hynes, Moses Sumney, Desus and Mero, Serena Williams , talk about what goes through your mind while you are taking those portraits? Do you ever feel a sense of intimidation?
MC : While taking portraits of high profile or celebrities, it comes down to me being down to earth and seeing the human in both of us. I try to be as transparent as possible and not have an overbearing presence because in retrospect I can understand what it is like to be on the other side of the camera and it can make you very nervous at times. I think once I break that initial wall down, we can create something that is fresh and standstill. I never get a sense of intimidation, just more reverence for the people I respect and inspire me the most.
SH: You have done a lot in 2 years since your graduation from Parsons School of Design what do you feel motivates your drive and ambition?
MC: This goes back to my upbringing when my father would wake me up at five every morning to make sure I made the bus on time and was on top of my school work, and I think that aggressive attitude trickled down to me. I love photography, and I love perfecting my work. I feel like those attributes come out when I am working and drive me to become more creative, push myself harder to tell more transparent stories, and just in general, be humble and in grind mode while I’m blessed to create.
New York Art Dealer, SARAH HASTED Interviews German Artist MANUEL KNAPP
STRINGING THE ART WORLD ALONG:
Art Dealer SARAH HASTED Interviews German Artist MANUEL KNAPP
WHEN I FIRST EXPERIENCED the work of young, German artist, MANUEL KNAPP, it was last summer in July. I was on a whirlwind art tour of Swabia,Germany, a passenger in a 911 Porsche, visiting private museums, meeting art collectors, and enjoying the most spectacular meal I have ever eaten in my life. Situated in the heart of the small village of Grossglattbach, in the attic above a small restaurant called the Lamm, owned by a husband and wife team, is their son, Manuel Knapp's unique atelier. After eating, not one but two dinners (no joke), I climbed up the steep steps in my high heels and full belly, to the studio. On the top floor of this traditional German, half timber house, is a thoughtful showcase of sophisticated, complicated and truly obsessive, 3 dimensional works made entirely of string.
Knapp's art works have been acquired by private and public art collectors, and the permanent collections of some of the most prestigious private museums in the world, Kunstwerk: Sammlung Klein and theMuseum Ritter:Sammlung Marli Hoppe Ritter, and the Collection Pforzheim, additionally, he has been commissioned to do site specific works, and his art career is just beginning.
Perhaps I am attracted to Manuel's intricate and meticulously hand woven works because they remind me of the American Indian textiles that I grew up with in New Mexico, or simply because they are a perfect combination of what happens when organic materials meet an obsessive mind. Whatever the reason for the attraction, the works are undeniably magnetic.
I encourage a studio visit with Manuel, go with an empty stomach, savor every delicious bite, then go upstairs and feast your eyes on Manuel's remarkable art works, the whole experience will not only leave you wanting more, but will be one of the most authentic and genuine experiences you will ever have....you can thank me later.
SH: When did your work first get attention?
MK: In the summer exhibition of my last year of studies in 2013, a gallery from Stuttgart named Von Braunbehrens asked me to collaborate. In January 2014, Mr. Peter Klein invited me to join in a group exhibition at his private museum, Kunstwerk: Sammlung Klein in Nussdorf, Germany. In 2015, ART-magazine introduced my work in their newcomer folder. This article inspired a German television station to do studio visit. In 2016, the Ritter Collection acquired one of my works and I participated in an exhibition at the Museum Ritter: Sammlung Marli Hoppe Ritter.
SH: Would you call yourself a sculptor?
MK: No. I feel more like cook that improvises after losing the recipe or a scientist that has lost his topic.
SH: How did you discover and develop your style and medium of working with string?
MK: I stumbled across the string as a material coincidentally. When I spent a semester abroad in Tallinn (Estonia) 2012. I was struggling with a project to build a minimalistic object out of matches. I used the string as a helping line to create a cube in the room. My aim was to follow these lines with a burning match and freeze this movement in a long exposure picture. In the end, the string cube became the most interesting point of the project. From that day I started to do research about the strong presence of strings in space.
SH: Some of your work is very much about architecture and geometry, order and others are about fantasy and fiction, illusion and messiness, can you talk about this?
MK: As a sportsman I love to check out my mental and physical limits. That brings the messiness. I only work with tight strings in straight lines - that naturally causes geometry. The illusion is the picture language where I started. I created everyday objects like chairs, tables and stairs. Our brain automatically characterizes them as functional and useable. These practical expectations create the strong dissonance of what we see and the feeling that we get. I work on the edge of what is capable by the human eye the appearance seems like an illusion. But the use of simple material underlines the irritation and makes the spectator questioning what he believes is fact. This basic question is my playground.
SH: Have you ever done a commissioned work?
MK: I created one art-piece for Mr. Peter Klein placed in a coffee shop nearby his art museum. The challenge was to cope with the strong deflection of this public space. Instead of using a black/white solution, I generated a multi-colored texture that is always changing with the light and perspective. In this case the only limitation was the dimension of the piece.
SH: Tell me about your family and upbringing?
MK: I grew up in a small village of 25.000 citizens in the south of Germany. It is located in an agricultural countryside. My parents own a small restaurant nearby since I was born. We lived with no luxury but it never felt like something was missing. Still today I think that the important things in life happen apart from money. Hard work will bring you success but never forget about good food and good friends.
SH: Describe your studio and what you do when you aren’t working on your artwork?
MK: My atelier is located above my flat under the roof of a half-timbered house. It is a historical technique of eastern architecture. I restored the space with friends by recycling given material. So the unique personality of the place remained. The spirit of improvisation and imperfection of the atelier also influences my work. For living, I am working as a gardener and waiter in my parent`s restaurant. In my spare time I love to travel, doing long walks in the nearby forests and countryside or meet with friends for barbecue. This is home to me so I stayed there throughout my studies instead of moving to the bigger city.
SH: Why are you so disciplined?
MK: I guess the answer is love. I love what I am doing so for me the efforts I have to take, like 1000`s of knots and nails, do not feel like boring or torturous work. It is more an enjoyable meditative challenge that keeps me patient and focused. If you really love to do something it does not matter how much effort you have to invest as long as you are convinced with the result.
SH: Have you ever thought about doing site specific work?
MK: I have worked on several site specific installations. For me a site specific project starts with the given space and the architecture around. I search for locking points to combine the constructive possibilities with the ideas I have in mind. Then I will think of the spectator and his perspective on the installation. These factors decide about the form of the construction. In 2016, I realized an Installation for the Ritter Museum in Waldenbuch, Germany. In this special case the meaning of “site specific” was not only referring to the place itself, but also to the desire of the collector which is focusing on color and squares. In this sense I created “the big orange” that felt like a perfect match because it was a huge scale analysis and questioning of these topics.
SH: How long does it take you to make the average work?
MK: It depends on the complexity of the structure. When I have the composition in mind it takes between one week and one month. As I only follow a mind map I am never sure if the idea can be realized. That is the magic moment of the last knot.
SH: Who is your favorite artist?
MK: It is a Canadian musician named Chilly Gonzales. In all of his compositions from rap to pop to classical piano pieces you can always feel his humor and personality. I guess this is the gift of a genius.
SH: Are you on social media?
MK: To keep in touch with my friends from abroad I visit FB once in two weeks. The fact that I have no smartphone stays a funny scandal in my circle of friends. I enjoy the freedom of not being online and reachable constantly.
For inquiries or to view more works please visit:
SARAH HASTED sarahhasted.com
MANUEL KNAPP manuel-knapp.com