We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Manda Quevedo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Manda below.
Manda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I think the drive to make pictures has always been there, but I don’t think I have it in me to be a full-time freelancer, partly because you REALLY have to hustle to make it work and partly because I’ve never viewed it as something that will make me a steady source of income.
I decided a long time ago that I didn’t want what I loved to be my job out of fear of one day growing to resent it. I’m very much ok with my craft being something I can escape into and not something I have to rely on. I have a traditional 9-5, which pays for me to do what I love creatively (shoot photos, make prints and books/zines, etc.).
Manda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi! I’m a queer Latinx trans nonbinary artist currently based in Brooklyn, New York. I earned my BFA in Photography from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. I’ve been making photos for over a decade and I love fine art printing. I have four cats who are my life: Zoey, Finn, Piper, and Duke.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to pursue art in some way. I used to love drawing when I was younger, so when I went to undergraduate school I was pretty set on majoring in that. It turns out, I was not good at drawing, as my Intro to Drawing professor had no problem telling me! Thankfully, a professor from one of my Intro to Photography classes saw something in me and casually suggested I consider declaring my concentration as photography. I interned for a well-known photographer and was hired full-time when I graduated. Since then, I’ve worked for photographers, galleries, and several fine art printing shops.
Since moving to New York in 2022, I’ve been shooting nightlife events almost exclusively, with a focus on drag and burlesque and indie wrestling. I love how much these two subcultures intersect. I used to make photobooks and zines under my personal publishing project, Quiet Pages Press, but I’ve unfortunately had to put that on hold the last few years because of finances.
Something I think sets me apart is that budget isn’t really the most important thing to me. If someone’s seeking me out to work with me, it means they’ve seen my work and that it resonates with them. That’s so cool to me! It’s important to me that my work is accessible and affordable, so I’m always willing to work with someone’s budget, if they don’t have a budget, or to barter services.
I’m most proud of the connections I’ve made (and continue to make!) within the communities I’ve been welcomed into – specifically, the burlesque and wrestling communities here in New York. I’m naturally a shy person, but you can see the shift and change in my work that’s come as a result of coming out of my shell.
Most recently, I’m very proud to say that I’ve published a photobook! ‘Love Letter to Deathmatch’ is a collection of photographs made at various deathmatch wrestling shows over the last few years.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I’ve had to unlearn (and am still in the process of unlearning) is the idea that your art has to be profitable. Sure, I’d love to make money from doing what I love, but it’s more important to me to be able to share it with people and have it resonate with them. A long time ago, I decided that I would always have a day job where I could make money to work on my creative endeavors. I went to undergrad with so many people who graduated and went on to graduate school to pursue careers in art and grew to resent it.
Have you ever had to pivot?
In 2022, I uprooted my life and moved from Philadelphia to Brooklyn to start a new job at a fine art printing studio. I was starting completely from scratch in a new city where I knew no one. Because of moving costs and the increased costs of living, I didn’t go out much and had very little social interaction.
If I’m being honest, that first year in New York was easily one of the most difficult years of my adult life. It may have taken a few years, but I’m fortunate enough to say that things have finally begun to feel normal and the dust has settled after years of pushing through and adjusting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mandaquevedo.co
- Instagram: @crybabycowb0y
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandaquevedo/
- Other: Online shop: mandaquevedo.bigcartel.com
