I was recently interviewed by the lovely Zeyna Sy over at Dazed Digital. It is currently the most viewed article on the site. Exciting!
Also, after being accepted into Milk Underground and showing my prints at the Milk Gallery, the prints are now on sale at the Milk Store
I’m putting up another round of prints on my personal store again, but bigger and better this time! More on that soon!
Happy 2012, friends!
“Don’t be technology’s bitch. Make technology your bitch.”
Model:
Stephanie Wagenman (yes, Betsey Johnson’s muse!)
Makeup:
Cyndle Strawhecker
Hair:
Peter Mattelinano
Styling:
Jasmin Rodriguez
Assistance:
Eric White
Rang in the New Year in sunny Melbourne with some of my favorite people. Came back to New York to become a slave to finals and writing my grueling thesis. In the midst of my hectic last semester, I interned for Bidoun Magazine and learned a lot of awesome things, met a lot of awesome people who reminded me of me. Documented the “end” of Mubarak’s regime with the Egyptian community in Astoria, Queens. Celebrated Mubarak stepping down at our spontaneous office party. After numerous nights of working my ass off, hallucinating from a lack of sleep, break downs, and contemplating joining the list of suicides in Bobst Library, I finished my thesis. Became an official college graduate, and surprisingly attended my graduation ceremony. Celebrated with a lot of sleep and booze. Finished my time as a student of structured academics and became a student of life. Was a part of putting together The New Museum’s Spring Gala and had my photographs projecting in a room with very fancy, important people. Took A LOT of spontaneous road trips with my friends, had some of the most memorable adventures of my life thus far. I was mentioned in Forbes Online. The only time I left the country this year was to explore a tropical paradise with a beautiful friend. Thanks to her, I learned how to dive for the first time. There, I discovered a world I had only seen in my dreams, and fell in love with Earth all over again. Came back to NYC and things got weird. I meditated a lot. The news made me depressed and had me yearning to be in Yemen. Looked endlessly for a job and found the job of my dreams. Made a lot of photographs, videos, money, and plans for future projects. Spent a lot of quality time with my family, my backbone. I think I went to Miami like 12 times? My photographs began appearing more in tangible forms, like billboards, magazines, and exhibitions. Started writing. Hated it, still hate it. Learned how to have a day job and still have time to do my own work. Photographed beautiful people, made a lot of art that I’m very proud of. Said goodbye to one of my best friends. My hatred for my writing inspired a project that will take up a great deal of my time in 2012, and beyond. Got excited, got others excited. I danced a lot this year. And when I say a lot, I mean, A LOT. Learned how to stop giving a shit about what others thought. Learned to stay far away from negative personalities and obsessive flattery. Learned how to say no. Learned that in order to get, I must give. Last but not least, I learned how to find love in all the right places.
All in all, this year was full of immense learning and self-realization. New experiences, new friends, and new ideas.
And with all of that, I’m really fucking excited for 2012.
Got 5 rolls of film developed today. I’ve been working an amazing day job for The Wall Group’s creative department. I get to go behind the scenes and meet incredible artists. It’s really helping me with understanding the business aspect of being a creative, which is perfect at this time in my life. I thought I’d be dreading having to work a day job, but I’m getting so much out of it that I surprisingly haven’t had any complaints.
Had my first gallery showing at Milk Underground, that was dope. Secretly watching people look at your work without knowing it’s actually yours, listening to what they have to say. That was a great feeling.
I’ve been writing a lot more lately, learning how to be OKAY with what I write and voicing my opinion in words, not just photos. I’m really lucky to have amazing friends to support that and teach me during my strange endeavors. It’s such a weird shift from being so used to having instant gratification in a form of expression that you’re so confident and comfortable with, then exploring a whole new medium that you kind of suck at and falling on your ass numerous times. But getting up, regardless of how bad you are, and just fucking doing it. Because you want to. And you believe in yourself enough to get through it and learn more and eventually succeed. That’s some shit. No course could teach me what I’m learning right now. In fact, I feel like my college education ruined my ability to express myself in words. I was so used to just vomiting accurate information and bullshitting to fill pages. At least I know how to do research, but shit. There was hardly any voice in it, any true expression. I can talk, I can take photos, but writing is new for me. It’s exciting. I feel like I just got a new boyfriend.
Anyway, expect some of that in the near future. Enjoy the photos. Oh and, I’m sorry but I think monthly mixes are dunzo. My apologies, I’m so bad at keeping that kind of shit steady these days. I STILL LOVE ALLA Y’ALL THOUGH!
Mia Orozco dancing to Crystal Fighter’s “Xtatic Truth”
This past summer, me and my best friends took a road trip to escape the city during Hurricane Irene. We drove for eight hours until we arrived at our lake house in the-middle-of-no-where, Virginia. Irene came and went, and we got beautiful glimpes of her from the Shenandoah Valley. The day after the storm, the sun embraced us with her warmth, gracing us with magical powers to turn into large fluffy dogs and feather-headed gypsies. We played in the river and ran through grass fields, all the while our friends back home were locked into their cubicle apartments in the stormy city sky.
Thank you Irene. Thank you Virginia. Thank you friends.
Bradley Soileau @ RED NYC
Styled by Lizz Jardim
Special thanks to Chloe Rice and Jackson for being such lovely assistants!
The universe has a funny way of making things work. A few months ago, I had a dream that me and my friend Lizz were taking photos in one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen. We were covered in henna and wearing jewelery she designed. When I woke up I immediately called her and told her about the dream – insisting that we make it a reality together. She was so excited, and her excitement excited me further!
I started searching online for henna artists in the area, only to be disappointed by what I was finding online. None of the styles matched what I had dreamt about and I started to grow frustrated. After about an hour of searching, I finally stumbled upon
Kenzi’s website. She had worked with Erykah Badu for
Love of my Life and her henna was incredible. I was nervous that she’d be unavailable to work with us but I gave her a call anyway and told her about my idea. To my surprise, she was thrilled with the idea and instantly jumped on board. My excitement was growing wild, and Lizz had already begun working on our jewels.
We needed to find the location. I was chatting with my friend Kira about the dream that had inspired me and she hinted of a secret desert nearby that she worked on for a movie meant to be set in Afghanistan. She knew it would be perfect for what I was looking for. I asked her part of the team in making my dream a reality, and Kenzi worked her magic on the three of us. We were mesmerized by the impermanent art growing on our bodies, she blew us away! We had a wonderful day of good conversation, henna tattoos and delicious food. It was time for Kira and Kenzi to send Lizz and on our way.
We arrived the next day only to realize that it was a private location. We knew we had to sneak in. Carrying our clothes, jewels and camera equipment, we made our way through. Nothing could stop us at that point. We climbed up sand dunes and got attacked by foreign sand insects until finally, we stopped. We had made it. Completely paralyzed by the unexpected beauty surrounding we just stood in amazement, speechless. It was like a mirage. Where were we? How was this anywhere near New York City?! We took our clothes off and started prancing around completely consumed with laughter and joy. Everything worked out perfectly and we were in heaven!
And now you see…We created magic. Just like my dream.
