Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Fawn Alban. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rachel Fawn , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I am grateful to work on many meaningful projects! I can tell you about a few of them.
– In 2023, I created a photomural at Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Hospital on Roosevelt Island, NYC. Titled “Healing in Community,” the mural is comprised of black and white portraits of Coler community members – including residents, volunteers, and staff. As part of the process to create this mural, I visited Coler weekly to engage participants in hands-on photography projects. Some of the participant artwork will be exhibited at the hospital in the vitrines facing the mural in 2024.“Healing in Community” was organized by NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program and Residency Unlimited, supported by Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. This is actually the first photomural in the NYC Health + Hospitals’ Community Mural Project, which is such an honor!
– The “Golden Life Mural Project” is a collaboration between Armisey Smith, who is an incredible painter, and myself. Our mural is created with painted elements and larger-than-life, black and white photos of women and girls who live or work in the diverse neighborhoods near the mural site in Newark, NJ. The photos were done during an amazing community workshop that we hosted in Spring 2023 at our local public library. In addition to me doing the portrait photography at this workshop, participants made their own artwork and poetry. The mural should be completed by the end of 2023 and I can’t wait to celebrate sisterhood with the community. The “Golden Life Mural Project” is created with the support of Project for Empty Space, the City of Newark, and Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art.
– I have done a lot of photo documentation for the Newark Artist Collaboration (NAC), sponsored by Audible Inc., the audiobook company which is headquartered in Newark. As part of this program, local artists were invited to create public artworks and installations in downtown Newark as people emerged from the pandemic and returned to in-person life. As the project photographer, I did headshots and artist portraits, documented artists in action, and photographed completed art installations. My work was used for online, social media, slideshow presentations, and print marketing. NAC was my first big job and it completely changed my career and photography practice. But, the most meaningful part of this project was how it strengthened my relationships within the local art community. Many of the artists from NAC have become dear friends and art partners – including Armisey Smith who is now my collaborating partner on the Golden Life Project mural.
– Since 2022, I have been working on a series called “SCAR Stories” – SCAR stands for “Survivors’ Courage And Resilience” documenting the healing journey of cancer survivors. I lost both of my parents to cancer, and this is one way that I honor their memories while I honor the survivors. Portraits from this series have been exhibited at Newark Museum of Art and Obscura Darkroom which is located at Project For Empty Space in Newark.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a freelance photographer, writer, and educator, now based Newark, NJ after living in New York City for over 20 years. As a photographer, I am best known for documenting public art. Lately I have been doing a lot of portraits and I have been making photographic murals. My writing has appeared on many online publications including Discover Jersey Arts, Street Art NYC, ArtBreakOut. My photos have been exhibited at the Newark Museum of Art, Obscura Darkroom, Great Neck Arts Center, and other spaces. I am also an Artist Educator. Currently I am working with MoMA School Based Programs in NYC and Paul Robeson Galleries in Newark.
Most of my photography clients are artists, curators, art workers, or other culture makers including Audible Inc, Newark Arts, Four Corners Public Arts, and many others. My photos can help clients document and present creative work, prepare beautiful grant applications and funding reports, handle press opportunities and press kits, grow their website and social media engagement, improve marketing and personal branding.
I have a BFA in Art Education with double major Graphic Design and a MPS in Art Therapy, both from the School of Visual Arts.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative – especially a photographer – is working and collaborating with other likeminded artists. My favorite moments are when I am documenting artists in action as they create murals, monuments, or public art. I am right by their side through challenges such as weather and technical issues, as well as exciting moments like when community members see a mural for the first time. Not a lot of people have access to these behind the scenes moments and I love learning and educating others about how public art gets made. When it is a good match between me as the photographer documenting an artist or collective, we support and inspire each other. This has led to friendships and creative collaborations. People always ask me how they can build relationships with artists? My motto is “show up, show love, and mean it! Then keep doing it.” That is basically what I did – slowly, consistently, over time showing up and supporting artists and public art projects until people knew and trusted me enough to book me for the big, important jobs.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My favorite story of resilience is actually from a decade ago, when I still lived in NYC. November 19, 2013 was a horrible day. My 14 year old chihuahua mix Barker was experiencing a seizure that wouldn’t stop, and we had been at the ICU at Manhattan’s Animal Medical Center all night. Barker had come into my life shortly after 9/11 and he was my baby. I remember holding him in the ICU when I learned that 5Pointz had been destroyed.
5Pointz was a graffiti art center in Queens. I had been spending a lot of time there documenting the unfolding story between the artists who had used it for years and the property owner who planned to demolish the building to develop condos. 5Pointz was a special place with the most beautiful collection of murals. The art included work by legends of graffiti, international street artists, and people learning how to spray paint for the first time. I made a lot of friends at 5Pointz and brought my family to see it. On November 19 while I was in the ICU with Barker, in the hours before dawn, the owner of the 5Pointz building illegally destroyed all of the artwork inside and outside – defacing everything with cheap white paint. It felt surreal to see the images of the whitewashed building on television, looping on NY1 over and over again.
The next day, Barker died. Heartbroken by the multiple losses, I sunk into grief. After a few days spent holed up in my apartment, I finally dragged myself over to 5Pointz to photograph it and pay respects. I visited twice. The second time I came home with Baxter.
Baxter was the communal cat at 5Pointz. He had lived there for 4-6 years and the artists cared for him. I knew him as the little black cat who followed 5Pointz Curator Meres One on tours and climbed up the ladders to watch artists while they painted huge murals. Now that the demolition of 5Pointz was imminent, it wasn’t safe for Baxter to stay there. I lugged him home on the 7 train, in a carrier sized for a pit bull. As soon as we got home, I started to feel better.
I had planned to foster Baxter for a few days but I am what they call a “foster fail”. Today, Baxter is a delightful house cat – very happy, affectionate, and healthy. We now live in Newark with my husband, Chris.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RachelFawnAlban.com
- Instagram: @fawn_photos
Image Credits
All photos by me, Rachel Fawn Alban. Golden Life rendering by Armisey Smith and Rachel Fawn Alban