As we come to the end of Carol Antezana ‘s takeover, we asked her a few questions about her practice, how to break into Photography and what it takes! Check out the whole interview below!
Studio: Why did you decide to pursue photography? CA:As a child I always knew I wanted to pursue the arts as a career. I just didn’t know how I could make that happen until I took my first photography course in high school. I knew I had found my “calling” and with the support of my photography teacher I was able to decide on pursuing photography by going to art school. Studio: Are there any significant life experiences or texts that have inform the theories behind your work? CA:I would consider my work to be a direct response of life experiences I have personally gone through and/or someone close to me has experienced that affected me. For example, I am currently working on a body of work called Dyspnea that is a response to a death in my family. My uncle passed away from cancer last year and I had a big need to make work about it to mourn and to create my own form of memorial for him. Death has always been a big theme in my work. You can clearly see that in Requiem which is a series inspired by Post Mortem Photography itself and in Lamentation which is about the death of a child in utero. Studio: For the series, Requiem you quote the book Roland Barthes, and reference post mortem photography, are there any other cultural signifiers we can find in the work? CA: Since my work is inspired by my personal life you can see many cultural signifiers besides Post Mortem Photography that deal with my identity. I reference my indigenous ancestry, political views and religious beliefs. In Lamentation I reference Madonna and Child, the abortion debate and what it means to be a first-generation american of immigrant parents. Studio: What are five tips you have for artists that would like to be fine art photographers? CA: If you are going to pursue photography (or any art career) you have to be willing to work hard and put yourself out there because it’s not going to be easy. Stay inspired. Go to museums, write, draw, read, impromptu shooting etc. Be friends with other photographers/artists. Branch out. Don’t be afraid to step out of the photography world. Try new things. Don’t limit yourself because you don’t have the funds. There are resources out there and you can get creative by DIY. Studio: How are you making your living and maintaining your practice? CA: I am contract photographer that does newborn photography. I get to practice my skill everyday and genuinely makes me happy because I get to work with newborns. I also do freelance photography and looking into possibly opening my own studio/business in the future.
