Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew George. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Andrew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
A few years ago, I set out to create a photography and interview project about the beauty of quiet wisdom called “Right, before I die.”
Some background: I aspire to create art that poses questions, provokes our expectations or reminds us of who and what we want to be. I do this by photographing deceptively simple, overlooked “moments” that we’re often in too much of a hurry to notice and appreciate. I expanded on this premise by visiting a hospital over the course of 2 years. I visited with men and women who had overcome their fear of dying. They let me photograph them as they spoke their heart’s wisdom and secrets.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Sure thing, I’ll cut to the chase and give you a snapshot of what drives me and what I’m doing:
I’ve always been bored by the ordinary; what passes as “beautiful” or “interesting” has rarely engaged me. This forced me to look elsewhere – upside down on the jungle gym or by squinting my eyes at colors and shapes in the classroom instead of looking at my teachers. An art class in 7th grade validated these impulses to look elsewhere for inspiration and helped me channel what I saw into creative avenues. I started taking pictures with a camera (now I say I “make” pictures with a camera) and this proved to be the most effective means to share with others the way my eyes see. I went to college and then got an MFA, in the process getting a more formal education that I actually enjoyed because I could choose my classes. This led me to become acquainted with my inner world – which I began to realize informs everything I create.
I started having shows of my work around 20 years ago, and since that time I’ve been in around 20 international exhibitions, most recently in New York, Korea, and Japan (the last two where accompanying catalogs were published). My recent photography and interview project, “Right, before I die” traveled abroad seven times and attracted more than half a million visitors at its various venues. I’ve won numerous awards for my photographs and have appeared in The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, CBS News, The Chicago Tribune, Stern, DesignTAXI, Art Ltd., Quartz, Daily Mail UK, The San Francisco Chronicle, El Mundo, De Standaard, The New Daily, Le Journal de la Photographie, Russia Today, BuzzFeed, The School of Life, Booooooom and Trendhunter, among others. My photographs are in more than 100 public and private collections.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes: to share my nuanced, vivid, electric, vibrant and awe-filled visions with others. I think nowadays it’s all too easy to become seduced by fanfare and spectacle. I’ve always found the real magic in understated, quiet moments that contain mysteries in plain sight. At first glance they might appear unadorned but, given another prolonged look I often perceive visual revelations of color and light. I’ve said before that I take pictures of everything disguised as nothing, and celebrate the beautiful, overlooked moments that we can only see if we slow down enough to take in the flickering moments contained in the seconds of each minute … My mission is to stop time and capture some of the wonder that surrounds us.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As an artist, at best, you feel like an illusionist sharing your tricks with an audience – but instead of magic what you’re revealing is that distinct expression of how your heart, mind and eyes, in a playful collaboration, see the world. I can’t imagine a more rewarding experience to share with someone, can you? The dialogue that I exchange as I aim to connect with others is best done with color, shapes, form and light- words frequently aren’t the most effective tools to convey who we are or what we’re trying to communicate. Of course, when I’m fortunate enough to have an opportunity to exhibit actual prints of my photographs in solo or group exhibitions it’s extremely satisfying and it’s what I’m always seeking.
Contact Info:
- Website: invisiblegraffiti.com
- Instagram: @invisiblegraffiti