Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Cattelle.
Brian, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always been a creative soul, ever since I was a little kid I was always building and creating and doing weird things. In high school, if I wasn’t in the darkroom developing a photo, or making a movie with my friends, you could find me making duck tape waltes and selling them to a store downtown.
In college, I got lost in drugs and alcohol and forgot about the arts and photography. I don’t know how I managed to graduate with the grades I got but I wasn’t present and I didn’t care about anything.
I eventually came to Florida for help. After about four years sober I found myself sitting in a cubical in Boca Raton, building a website I didn’t care about. I was looking out the window thinking, “this is my nightmare, I didn’t get sober just to live another nightmare.” I wanted to live my own dreams, not work on someone else’s.
I was exploring business ideas. I started a t-shirt company. In the process, I took lots of photos, and the photos were better than the shirts. I started carrying a camera with me at all times. I had been reunited with a long lost friend. I submitted some photos to a big contest and won a bunch of equipment and money. I decided to use that as a launching pad for my first big photo project BARE USA. I raised a bunch of money through crowdsourcing, quit my job, hit the road and never looked back. The seemingly impossible accomplishment of getting sober helped me realize I could do anything I want to, anything at all. I want to be a photographer, an artist, so that’s what I’m doing, no matter what. Forget that cubical life. I’ve never been more free than I am now.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a photographer, so most of my art is photography based. I’ve made a photography book of my project BARE USA. The project studied the contrast between natural beauty and man-made decay by photographing nude models in abandoned locations. I did one shoot in each of the 50 states. I also explore a range of subject matters including but not limited to street photos, intimate portraits, architecture, nature, and landscapes. I’m also very experimental, not only in some of the photos I take but in the way that I present them. I have a collection of photos that I have put into vintage view masters. I have about 7 CRT TV’s (old school tv’s) I shoved into a shopping cart that plays my photos on a loop. I wheat paste my work on to wood and doors and fences so you can hang some street art in your home. This list of experimental projects and presentations will only continue to grow.
I’m an explorer; my camera gives me the opportunity to meet people that I would have never otherwise met, see places I would have never seen. It forces me out of my comfort zone; it pushes me to turn that corner and see what’s on the other side. It helps me live in the moment. It forces me to grow as an artist and as a person.
The goal is usually to convey a feeling or to evoke some sort of emotion. Sometimes the goal isn’t all that deep, sometimes the goal is to just make something cool, something different but invariably, when I take a closer look at my work and myself there is a root cause of emotion that has set the piece in the direction it’s gone in. My work is always somehow a reflection of me whether I realize it at the time or not.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
For me personally, art is all I do, it’s all I can do, I really have no choice in the matter. Art sales and shows are hit or miss. There are many factors I have little control over like the economy and the weather. It’s competitive out there, and everyone is screaming for attention, but I continue to grind it out and progress in my work, getting it out there every chance I get. So my conditions are improving, and my life is getting easier. The best part is no one has told me what to do in over five years.
I think cities really prosper from the artist. Artists bring immense value to largely unknown places. These places become cool, then the money and corporations push them out. You see this over and over again. Lots of municipality in South Florida are really supportive of the arts and are doing great things, but I often see that effort subside once it seems they have gotten the attention they were seeking. I think municipalities could provide more cost-effective studio spaces, and I mean really cost-effective, and keep it that way. It’s worth it to them. I think they should also have more events and shows that artists can participate in for free. Really nice shows that draw a crowd and produce sales. I also think all municipalities could do a better job at keeping art in schools. Without art there is no innovation. If standardized testing doesn’t leave enough room for free thought, then they should implement robust after-school programs that let the kids get crazy with it.
When it’s all said and done, art always finds a way, and if we as artists are not provided the opportunities, we’ll make them for our self’s.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I’ve been working pretty hard to cover the South Florida region. If there is a major art show going on, like Art Fort Lauderdale or Aqua Miami, there’s a good chance I’ll be there. I’m also fortunate enough to be in the graces of The Box Gallery, The Heart of Delray Gallery, and The Cornell Museum to name a few. Otherwise, you can find me displaying and selling my art from my Art Van. I know, van, right? Well, I painstakingly made this van look like a beautiful and badass gallery on wheels. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to connect with my audience.
I prefer people become collectors rather than supporters. If your interested in becoming a collector of my work you can always visit my website briancattelle.com direct message me on the Instagram @briancattelle or visit one of the places mentioned above!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6 Walcott Dr
Boynton Beach Fl 33426 - Website: briancattelle.com
- Phone: 207-735-7786
- Email: brian.cattelle@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancattelle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRIANCATTELLEPHOTOGRAPHY/
- Other: http://www.bare-usa.com/
Image Credit:
Stephanie Voldrich (Model on Slide)
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
