We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bailey Kobelin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bailey below.
Bailey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful projects of mine is Mortality Salience, which is a project focusing on death and dying. I had the opportunity to work out of a studio where I was interviewing subjects on their thoughts or experiences with grief and death. I was able to shoot entirely on 35mm and medium format film and develop it there in the darkroom. The images were then either printed in the darkroom or digitally printed and hung in a gallery show along with quotes from my interviews. This was a very powerful project and I was very thankful to have these resources as well as so much support from my community and from those who wished to be subjects. Im so grateful that the participants trusted me with such personal and emotional stories. It made me really see how such powerful artwork comes from having support from members of your community. This project still continues as I photograph cemeteries across the world. Recently I was in Paris and Brussels, where I had the privilege to photograph some of the most stunning cemetery statues and architecture.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Being an artist using the medium of film and photography isn’t exactly the most unique business idea. Especially in Los Angeles, a city filled with creative entrepreneurs. One way in which I wanted to be different and unique was through surrealism. At the time I started my business, a lot of the popular photography was clearly shot and directly showed the viewer what the subject matter was. I wanted to search for ways to distort that, to create images where the viewer might have to spend some time deciphering what it is they are seeing. I started building different prisms for my lenses out of mirrors. For many years I enjoyed creating unique and different images, especially live music photos which were different than what most people expected. While these techniques have made my work visually unique, at the end of the day many photographers can use this. So what really sets my business idea apart would be my place in society. All artists using the same medium have the ability to create very similar works, but what is different is the individual behind the piece. What sets each artist a part is their eye and the point of view they are coming from. As a queer person, I believe that I have through my own search for identity found how to appreciate and respect the faces and bodies that I photograph. My time spent working in record stores has given me a lot of knowledge of different album covers and appreciation for different sounds in music, which I think informs my work with different types of musicians. Mortality Salience, the project where I photograph different cemeteries, is unique because of my background in Sociology and my experience working in a funeral home. Art is always a worthwhile endeavor, and I think that making a business out of it is only as unique as what you as an individual brings.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lot of people who are passionate about art say that you should work on projects you love and not worry as much about the money. I get that. But it has taken so long for me to unlearn that mentality. My art and time are valuable, and when you don’t charge properly, people take advantage of your creativity and of your kindness. I had a troubling experience a few years ago where I went into a project without a contract. There were so many miscommunications and confusion about what was expected of the final product and what my pay was. In the end the project didn’t end up being completed and I was not properly compensated for my time. I learned from this that it is really important to have a contract. Even if the project is with a friend or consistent collaborator, to me it helps outline each person’s expectations and boundaries.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is discovering new ways of connecting with people. I think that sometimes its really hard for us to explain how we feel, and art gives us so many ways to show that. Sometimes I can look at a work of art and understand something about myself or about the world and I find that beyond powerful.
Contact Info:
- Website: baileykobelin.com
- Instagram: @baileykobelin