Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Larissa Ramey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Larissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?
As an artist, I can share my differences as a bi-racial black woman and maker. Artwork can evoke a way to challenge both the audience and the creator. The reality of being misunderstood and mischaracterized is a heavy topic in my practice. Daily I explore the lived experience of being othered because of my identity and proximity to how I translate visual culture. An essential part of my process is to gather why I want to be in conversation with others. To speak about my mystery and the ability to seek and learn from the work can be the best form of engagement. How can we get past our visible difference, and how does our mark-making affects how we interact with artworks and the artist? By mark-making, I mean our intention, materials, language/ discourse, research, the legacy of the work, etc.
When we take the time to invest in the in-between spaces, it can offer a place of both collaboration and understanding. My experiences have helped me to share how I carve out space for myself in this world. Everything at first glance and proximity to the work is not enough; the process is there to challenge what you immediately see, feel, and think, ask questions, and be sifters of opacity.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I love to read and write, which is one of the best ways to help others! Here are some recent ideas and sources if you think or feel the same things! Put yourself out there; networking and making lasting, intentional connections are essential. Get yourself a business card, website/ social media platform you dedicate time to promoting yourself; you are your best advocate. Try different workshops and demos, attend events, and be a student of your art practice.
Books
1. Teaching to Transgress – Education as the Practice of Freedom by Bell Hooks (The PDF is free online)
2. Art/Work – Revised & Updated: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber
3. The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study by Stefano Harney and Fred Moten
4. A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See by Tina M. Campt
Videos
Being: New Photography 2018 | MoMA LIVE
Essays
Colored People Time
Publisher: Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania
ISBN: 978-0-88454-149-3
Creating a Platform
As creatives, we all need help with where to start! These are just the sites that can be beneficial for learning how to spark ideas.
Youtube (I look up as much as I can all the time), Artjobs.com, CAFÉ, Skillshare, and Adobe Creative Suite (try the free trial).
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To make a culture of care and intention for artists to feel supported and thrive, we need more access to resources (funding, conferences, materials, critical thought, and conversations). Still, most importantly, we need to talk and be with each other more. Having a person or group of creatives to challenge and bounce ideas and projects off of to enhance your practice is a big game changer. I learn something new every day, and I want to extend my thanks to others. It is crucial to show up and be different. I would rather not continue the ideals of a closed-off, elite, hierarchal art society; let’s open doors and lift one another. That is the power of collective memory and visual culture; we, as artists, can use art to change the world.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Headshot by Trent Bozeman Uploaded Photographs by Larissa Ramey