Be Prolific Series: Cat Palmer

For my first jaunt into the art world, I summoned up all the bravery I could muster and reached out to one of my absolute favorite local artists, Cat Palmer. She is a photographer who chooses to use her art to focus on human empowerment, especially focusing on women. She has been working and living in Salt Lake City but her work is much more far reaching than that. Her work has always resonated with me because she is always able to capture what looks to me like the raw essence of humanity. Her photo projects and even just her personal selfies always give me an amazing sense of confidence and strength in myself.

I sat down with Cat at Zest in Downtown SLC to talk about her photography and what makes her who she is. She was amazingly open and her candor was incredibly refreshing, almost as refreshing as the fresh cocktails at the restaurant. She talks with an insatiable passion (especially about feminism) and talking with her would leave anyone excited to create and inspire.

*All photos used in this post used with permission from Cat Palmer and can be found on her website. (Minus the selfie we took together)

How would you describe your photography?

There are two sides to the business. There is the commission side where I take photos of people naked (PS her boudoir shoots are the stuff of dreams), weddings, families; that's the bulk of my income. That's what makes it so I can eat fancy food all the time. Then there is the art I do for me. That's mainly mixed media. Photography on metal with an urban fine art feel. It always has a very industrial feel to it. Most of what I've done for the past 11 years has had a message or political message. I stopped taking pretty pictures for the sake of pretty pictures in about 2006. I won't do those anymore. It has to have some sort of meaning for me.

Not only that, art is also very therapeutic for me. I'm always working through something when I do art. Bush gave me a lot of material when he was in office. I was also focused on women for a long time. I think women are more beautiful than men. Women inspire me more and I don't know if it's because I am a woman and I deal with those issues.

I've noticed through your Instagram and Facebook that you have quite the addiction to gas masks. What's got you so hooked on them?

I've always really liked really industrial looking, metal stuff. When people see flowers, it's aesthetically pleasing to those people and it pleases those people. When I see gas masks I think they are aesthetically pleasing and they are like flowers to me. I would rather get gas masks than flowers any day. 

I Am Human Series, 2008

What sparked your interest in photography?

I had to sign up for an elective in High School when I was 15 and most girls were taking home economics and that never really interested me and I didn't want to do mechanics. Photography caught my attention most and my grandparents used to have a dark room in their house and we had a lot of cameras. We already owned all of the equipment and I signed up on a whim. And then my teacher M, he taught us on a college level. The stuff he did with us... I don't know if another High School teacher would do this with their classes. He would take us to LA or Venice Beach and let us loose for hours just shooting us on the streets. By my senior year I was in his classroom about four hours a day. For one of my classes, he let me write my own curriculum and that was the first time I shot nudes. he said as long as it was tasteful I could do what I want. I mean, these were underaged kids after all.

He was amazing and he was the one who told me I reminded him of Diane Arbus. I was 15 and didn't know who that was. So I went to the library and checked out a huge book of her and fell in love. She photographs people in society that society deemed unworthy and she saw the beauty in them and I couldn't believe that he would breathe my name in the same sentence with her. She's where my passion for people came from so I started shooting homeless people on the streets of LA in the mid 90s. I took a video camera around with me everywhere and interviewed everyone. Drug dealers, prostitutes. I don't know how I didn't fucking die. Like, I was a teenage girl interviewing homeless people on the streets. I was missing the fear chip.

Super Hero Series, 2012

Are you a full time artist?

Yes. I've been shooting for 20 years but shooting professionally for 11. For 6 years I've been doing it full time. It was a lot of fucking work to get to this point. It did not happen overnight. I also would not encourage people to do this full time. For five years, I had a real job where I was making a decent living with health and vacation time and during all of that I was building my clients so that when I left my job I had built up my clients to a point where I could survive. My sons say they want to be artists and I say yes, that's a great idea but you have to stay safe and get an education, take care of yourself. With art you have to be prolific and talented and I am neither of those things. I have lucked out because I have gotten enough attention with the local media. I am really good at marketing myself so I'm just kind of faking it until I make it type thing.

When did you know you wanted to use your photography as a platform for women and empowerment?

It stared with the 'I Am Human' series. It gave me that platform and that boost that people were paying attention to. I thought no one was going to care about this or hang it in their living room but I sold out of that series. I started reflecting on my own issues and what I was going through and I think I was projecting that into the series. It directly had to do with what I was working through at the time. Most of the series I have done for selfish reasons and it turns out that a lot of people related to them. Like my 'Keep Politicians Out of Our Vaginas' series. They were saying awful things and at some point I realized the media was picking up on that and my art and I knew I couldn't waste this platform. for another project I had 14 women shave their heads. I was so sick of women being told how to do themselves and their hair so I had the women shave their heads. That was five years ago. I would approach women and ask them if they wanted to shave their heads for this project. That was also the third time I shaved my head.

You Don't OWN Me/ Keep The Politicians out of our Vaginas, 2012

What is it about a shaved head that gets you?

It's fucking liberating. I was doing this project on loving myself more and I wanted to get more familiar with my face and to start loving myself on that level. And I started to keep this daily journal and I wanted to come from this space of not being able to look at a photo of myself without crying. Now I can see the beauty in myself and in other people. It's liberating and you can't hide with a shaved head. Your eyes pop, your lips pop, your features come out in a way that you would never realize. I also find it so raw and beautiful. God, it so fucking beautiful.

Age of Aesthetics, 2010

How do you think of the themes for your collections?

They usually come to me in the shower. The shower is my quiet meditative time. It's when you are in your most raw form and at that time I have visions of what I want to do. I usually have a very clear vision of what I want to accomplish. Or if something is really pissing me off (ie, republicans) that will be it. Things I overhear inspire me. I thought once you were a teenager all of this 'hating yourself' thing would stop but then I realized it was women of all ages. I think if we say positive things about ourselves we thing we are bragging but we aren't. I want to help people, especially women, realize that so I think a lot of my ideas stem from that. 

Describe your creative process.

Usually I work with big groups so i have to organize it, so sometimes it takes months. So I plan it out, swear them to secrecy, shoot it, edit it, print them, putting them on metal and working with that whole process. It usually takes about six months from start to finish.

What was the thought behind your Star Wars Femme Fatale shoot? (One of my favorites)

Literally that was in the middle of the night and I have a thing for women and Star Wars. At 2AM I post on Facebook "I want to do a shoot and I want hot women to wear these helmets." I was like "If you have a hot body contact me." In the middle of that night this shoot was planned in an hour. All of these women have insomnia and are online in the middle of the night. They are so hot, so fucking beautiful and I put masks on them! So that was my own fantasy in the middle of the night. 

Femme Fatale Series, 2013

Do you usually photograph professional models or just normal people?

I prefer just people. A lot of times I prefer real people.I don't know if it's because I'm a photographer but I feel like I can see their beauty better than they can see it themselves. When I become friends with people I just want them to see themselves like I do. They have no fucking clue how beautiful they are but I think a lot of people are that way. I also like real people. I also have really pretty friends.

You use yourself as the subject of many of your collections and photos. What is the reasoning behind that?

Self esteem struggles. When I left my husband, I really believed nobody would ever find me attractive but I would rather be alone than in this miserable marriage. Luckily I had a best friend who believed in me and saw me and encouraged me to keep these daily pictures of myself and I would take really bad photos of myself because I wanted to be very ok with myself and not just the flattering photos. I did a series of myself when I wanted to start feeling better. My son took 3 photos of me with no makeup, everyday makeup, and full makeup. I wrote down everything anyone had ever said to my face. I had all of the negative things coming into my ears with full makeup on. The no makeup was the same idea but with the nice things people have said. It was super therapeutic to realize that it was everyone else's issues they were projecting onto me and not my own. 

I lost fifty pounds, but even if I don't lose anymore, I feel good about myself. Women want validation from strangers on dating sites and I don't need that. I don't want the validation from strangers because they don't know my true beauty. I did some soul work with meditation. It was two years of a lot of fucking work to get where I am now. I am a champion of the selfie because I know how long it took me to become comfortable looking at myself. I can see it in other people when they have to start loving themselves.

"My son shooting my image"- To Love One's Self Series, 2014

My Path, To Love One's Self Series, 2014

What do you think is the hardest thing facing females and/or female artists?

I feel like generally, Salt Lake is more liberal as far as arts go. But I feel like a lot of people have taken me less seriously than they should have but I haven't really noticed because I'm in my own world. I've had to deal with a lot of sexual harassment that men don't have to deal with. I get comments that men probably don't. I fucking hate the comments. But that's those people and that's all they talk about. The sexual harassment and the stalking. People wanting to touch you and thinking it's ok because it 'The Art World.'

In general though, women are facing fucking everything. The wage gap. People thing it's not a really thing but it is. People are legit qualified and making 30% less because they are women. When we are assertive, we are bossy but a guy is a powerful leader. We are not bossy, we are getting shit done. The word feminist, also, needs to not be looked at as a bad word. The true feminist is an equalist who also loves men. We fight for men as well as women.

Blaming. Rape culture. Rape culture is being taught in all major religions right now. Fucking teach your boys not to have bad thoughts about women. Period. Gender discrimination, women having their place; I'm still hearing that to this day. The misogynistic issues are everywhere. We have to fight it together. 

What other artists/photographers inspire you?

Generally photographers who do people or gritty work. I'm not into landscapes. I can appreciate what they can accomplish but the have never done it for me. Inanimate objects don't inspire me. I love photos of real people. Their photos are so raw and perfect and up close on peoples' faces. I love seeing the dirt and wrinkles on faces. I love street artist like Swoon. Urban art is more what I'm into that photography.

What was the switch to digital photography like?

Ha, joining the dark side as I call it. I joined the dark side in 2006 because that's when I felt like the technology was finally there. I miss the dark room. I had a love affair with the dark room for son long and I fucking miss that. It is cheaper and easier for me to do digital. I don't know which to say I prefer because I use both for different reasons. But I do miss the texture and graininess of the film Sometimes the technology is too clean for me.

Learn how to Merge, 2004

How do you find inspiration when your muse has left you?

That just happened. I'm coming out of a four year funk. I don't create when I'm at my least happy point. I only create when I do have that inspiration again. I don't force it. I let it come to me. When it feels right, it feels right. Sometimes, all artists will have dry spells. That's hard. Take showers. Clear your head. Try to get away. Unplug.

Do you have a favorite book?

I used to read so much. My favorite book is The Little Prince. Metaphorically speaking, it is spot on. Every adult should read it because we lose touch with our inner child and we need to rediscover that. I love Ray Bradbury as well. To Kill a Mockingbird. Roald Dahl is not really known for his short stories but he has over 300. I own that compilation and I love it.

How do yo feel about the intersection of social media and art?

It's a huge part of my income, honestly. Without social media, I don't know how I would get word out about what I do. I rely heavily on it. People share my stuff and it gets my stuff out there more than if I didn't have it. It does make everyone feel like they are a photographer but I don't feel very threatened by it. I found my own niche and I don't feel threatened by anyone else. There's room for everyone.

What is your advice to young artists?

Be prolific. Create create create create create. Each year you are going to grow and get better. Find a mentore who can answer your questions and take you under their wing. Don't let the downers get you down. You have to have a thick skin. I know we are all wounded artists but some people aren't going to like you rwork. Not everyone likes everthing; I know I'm doing something right when people don't like my work. You've gotta have that attitude.

You need a network and to get out there. Market your work on social media. A lot of artist are scared to talk about themselves but you have to learn how to do it. Learn how to write a press release. Know the ins and outs of your city and the galleries or places you want to apply to.

There's so much. But creating and being prolific is huge. Mostly, just never stop.

Who Will Be Our Hero, 2006

*****

I would like to give a huge unyielding thank you to Cat Palmer for taking the time to sit down with me as well as inspiring me so much. I was unsure about this idea to interview artists and putting myself out there until I sat down with her. I knew this was something I wanted to do, but she has shown me how much these interviews can mean to me, and hopefully to you all as well. 

Thank you for reading and be on the look out for more interviews soon! I'm hoping to post one a month :)

Me and the lovely Cat Palmer. Clearly, not taken by the professional.

Please check out more of Cat's work on her website and Facebook pages.

Cat Palmer Photography Website

Cat Palmer Photography Facebook

Be Prolific Series Announcement

I have been incredibly lucky to build quite a large circle of artists through this blog. I have met some incredible poets, writers, painters, designers, musicians, and everything else under the sun through this blog. If you need some suggestions of some real talent, check out my left sidebar- a few of my favorite creators.

I am also incredibly lucky to live in a city that celebrates art so much. Salt Lake City, Utah has an incredible arts scene and some ASTOUNDING talent! I love seeing what these people are creating around me and seeing it influence my own work.

I love sharing my poetry and flash fiction on my blog. Thank you to all of my readers for supporting me and leaving such amazing comments. I am so lucky to have fallen into this community and to let my craft grow on this platform. And now I want to expand what I share with you.

I want the readers of this blog to get a glimpse into the art world of Salt Lake City. I want you all to see how talented these people are, whether you are from Salt Lake of from very far away. There is art happening here that shouldn't be missed and lessons these artists can share that are so important.

I've been reaching out to the artistic community of SLC to set up interviews with artists of every medium. I'll be interviewing photographers, painters, dancers, actors, poets, musicians, anyone who will speak to me about what they create. I'll be posting their interviews and glimpses of their work on this blog in a series I am calling "Be Prolific" a sound bite I got from my very first interview.

I am so excited to start this project and so excited to share this art with you. I can't wait for you to see a part of my world, my lovelies. Let's create and learn together.

via *

i love gypsy life

(random ramblings ahead.)

After spending five days back at my old house, I am now back in Salt Lake permanently. Today was my last day of work at Barnes and Noble which means no more commuting! more time to myself! back to writing! school in less than a month! I took a little blog vacation for my last five days of work- five very long days and long hours of work. But now I am back and am so ready for a few weeks of relaxing and job securing before school starts in January.

Items:

- I was offered early acceptance to the Honors College at the University of Utah! I applied for admittance and was told that I was applying for next fall but then last week I got an email saying I was chosen for early admittance! I'm so happy! I now have to sort of mess up my perfectly placed schedule but that's alright. I'm just ready to be back on a campus, around working minds and shifting gears.

- I read so much in these past five days and it felt like heaven to feel my brain jogging around the words on the page. I'm so close to my goal of reading 50 books this year and being able to find time to just read about 5 books in 5 days helped push me toward the goal. I'm at 48 books right now!

- Can Game of Thrones just be on again already?

- I know it might appear that my constant repetition of my love and feeling of content at being single right now may make it seem that I am trying horribly to compensate for the true pain of being single but it's the exact opposite. I feel so at home in my own skin and in my new house that I cannot keep from talking about it. My stomach feels dizzy from excitement and bubbling opportunity in the future. The near future. Reaching this exact spot in my life has been my mantra for the past two years. I knew if I could just get here I would be deliriously happy. One person cannot be this happy. An internal bubbling happy that still lets me retain my constant layer of melancholy (ha). I feel connected to my artistry while still being happy.

I still feel myself missing my past boys. Sometimes terribly so. Sometimes I still cry about it. But you know? I'm happy I still do. They meant something and I deserve as many tears as my body still produces for them. Right now is my time to be me and let myself heal in my way. To write them all out so I can breathe them out of my system.

And even in my comfortable isolation, I could still use some male touch every now and again. Someone find me under the mistletoe. Steal a kiss from me. Hold my hand. Touch the small of my back. Whisper into my neck. Touch. Taste. Have fun.

"I don't want to be alone forever, but I love gypsy life." - Lady GaGa

A Bazooka in my Chest

So. I have finally torn my eyes away from Grey's Anatomy long enough to post something that's been pulling on my brain for weeks. More like... with help from Grey's Anatomy I finally have a metaphor that suits what I've been feeling for weeks.

Remember that episode of Grey's where the paramedic has her hand in a guys chest and then they find out that there is live ammunition just waiting to explode inside of him? Then Meredith goes and is the best human alive ever by placing her hand inside his chest when the paramedic freaks out. (Real quick... remember when that paramedic was Christina Ricci? What even...?) This episode had me crying like a child. Granted, I have cried about 95% of the time while watching Grey's. I can't with this show. I can't with life. It's all too much.

Image Via greys.wikia.com

I'm moving to Salt Lake in one month. One month. Not only that but in one month, I'm starting a new job, leaving an old job, leaving home, leaving my dogs, leaving school. All of this is awesome. All of it is exciting and I'm thrilled about it. I've been aching to move into Salt Lake since I came home from Cedar City a year ago. So why all this anxiety?

It's like high school graduation. You spend three years knowing it's coming and even in the last month of your senior year, it doesn't feel real. Then the next thing you know, you're standing in front of your mirror in your cap and gown.

That's what all this feels like. I've known it was coming and I've fought so hard for it to come. But now it's here and I'm so scared. I'm scared of leaving familiarity and jumping into a new world. More than living in the city, I'm afraid of starting a new job. I've trained for dental assisting for a year now and I'm good. I'm really good but I'm still learning. I now get to jump into an internship and continue to learn and then I'm working. I know they don't expect me to be perfect but what if I don't live up to the expectations? What if I'm not ready or capable?

And I have to relearn to live on my own again. I lived in Cedar by myself for two years and loved it. I loved the independence and the freedom to be an adult. But I've gotten used to coming home to the house I grew up in. I've gotten used to my old bedroom. I love the way it smells and I love my dogs being here with me. Now I get to live in a new house with new people in a city I've never lived in. I love Salt Lake and I've experience it a bit, but living there will be different.

I'm scared of not making friends in Salt Lake. I have some friends there but what if I'm not a city person? What if Salt Lake hates me and the people there don't like me? I'm afraid of being alone and unliked.

I've never been one to be afraid of change. I embrace change and I smile and work through it. So why am I so afraid this time? I'm just so tired. It's anew kind of adult tired. Stress tired. I am constantly in school and working and when I have any free time I just want to lay in bed and cherish my last days in that room. And rest my body in hopes that my mind will let itself rest. But it won't. It's on a constant loop of worries and things I have to get done before I move.

I just want to be ready. I want to move slowly and steady enough to embrace this new chapter while not missing anything of my old chapter. I want to slowly remove the bazooka in my chest cavity before the worry eats me up. Any advice as to how I can do this, let a girl know. I'm sick of feeling like I'm in limbo. I don't want the anxiety to overshadow the excitement and possibility anymore.

This was super rambly but I think my brain needed to purge. YAY PURGE BRAIN.

Also.. If you don't already. Watch Grey's Anatomy. It will change your world. K. Bye.

Image via Tumblr

Utah Arts Festival

I had the pleasure this weekend of going to two days of the Utah Arts Festival down in Salt Lake at Library Square. Never have I had so much fun and been surrounded by so many amazing works of art by some of the most creative and talented people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. We were surrounded by sun and soul in the heart of the city and honestly it was the best day ever.

On Thursday night I went with a blogger friend of mine, the lovely dovely Shelby, and my best girl Niki to see a local band play. They are called Holy Water Buffalo and they were awesome! It's been a hot second since my last concert and I had forgotten how much I love live music. It seems like I always do that though. I forget how amazing it feels to have the loud beats jump starting your heart and the vitality of the crowd infusing with the air and making the night glow electric.

The band is local, a few boys from Heber and they were a delight and they all had the most glorious hair I've ever seen. Straight up. Check out that cutie on the keyboard. He was our favorite to watch because with every note he struck on those keys, his lion's mane struck back. They were all so passionate and I felt honored to be able to watch these boys do the thing they love the most. They were having so much fun and their passion was palpable. They had no inhibitions, only heart and zest. It was awesome. (ALSO... saw a blast from my past and it blew my mind, but that's a private story. HI SHELBY HI)

I just never want this festival to end. I don't want summer to end. I want more summer nights filled with music and friends.

On Friday my beautiful friends Kat and Dixie invited me to go back to the festival again and explore the booths for the day. And when I say for the day, I mean for the day. We got to the festival at 3 and didn't leave until about 9 and we spent the entire time in and out of booths, fawning over the artwork and the artists. We made an effort to go inside every booth and tried to cover as much of the festival as we could. I think we missed maybe two corners but we did see a great deal of vendors. 

We stopped and looked at each individual booth, never skipping one. The variety between the art and the crafts was so inspiring. There was amazing paintings, crazy metal sculptures, hand crafted jewelry made from old car parts and fire extinguishers, breathtaking photographs, dancers flying across the glass surface of the library, and everything in between. I could have spent many more hours winding through the labyrinth of artists and getting lost inside paintings. 

I walked away from the festival with two paintings and a beautiful ring. These pieces touched my soul and I couldn't leave the festival without them. They are gorgeous and captivating and perfect.

Buy her things here. They are amazing!

How could I pass by that ring without slipping it on and falling in love? It felt like Cinderella slipping on the perfectly fitting glass slipper. It's sensational. 

The first painting I bought was one of the first I saw as we started our tour. Part one. The artist was incredibly charming and handsome. If I wasn't a huge wimp, I would have asked him for his number but then I got distracted from flirting with my eyes and occasional hip sways because this painting caught my eye. 

Visit his website here. This handsome guy is incredible.
Also I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers. Hi Derek :)

The colors were like a dream and it was both ominous and exciting. It's a sugar coated nighttime. It reminded me so much of the beautiful plantation house in one of my absolute favorite movies, Interview with the Vampire. Ever since I saw that movie years ago I've wanted a huge New Orleans plantation house. I walked over to the artist and asked if he could hold the piece for me so I could come buy it after I walked the rest of the festival. He slipped it between some other prints and told me it was based on the Oak Alley Plantation used in Interview with the Vampire. It was the house I thought it was; the house of my dreams. I thanked him for holding the piece for me and continued on way. Even through the rest of the show, that painting kept popping up in my mind. It wasn't long before I just had to go back and buy it and carry it with me, just so I could look at it while I walked. It's amazing. 

But the booth that won me over was called Curtner Art. My favorite type of art is anything with words as the focal point. I'm a writer. Words are my lifeblood. To me, text and typography are the most beautiful things I could imagine. I love pictures with words hidden inside of them, mixed media with words tattooed across their surfaces. I turned the corner, walked into this booth, and tears filled my eyes. They slipped down my cheeks as I was overtaken by his pieces. Pictures filled with words stitched haphazardly across the canvas. Words holding the painting together like glue. It was like this artist knew my heart and knew what I needed to see. I was set on a print of a couple lying across the grass with books scattered around them until I saw this piece. The tears started flowing fresh when this caught my eye. 

See more of my favorite art EVER here.

It's me. It's me writing. She has my hair, my black desk, my necklace. She has my drive and my constancy. And those words. There are phrases hidden all across this piece. "show you" "Has a story to tell" "Makes ou feel" "all had to fit like a jigsaw puzzle" "The picture is only half the story" "Original art from the pages" I just keep finding more and more. I froze staring at this piece, tears welling in my eyes. I just stared at it, dumfounded. Nothing has ever stolen my heart like this piece. I was nervous about spending money on it when suddenly Kat turned to me and simply said "Emma you can't leave this here. It's you. Consider this a late birthday present. You need this piece."

More tears came and I can't thank her enough for this amazing gift. It will get a place of pride in any home I ever live in. 

I wish I had all the money in the world and could have bought something from every booth we visited, but sadly college is a thing. And gas is a thing. And I'm not Jay Gatsby. There is always next year and until then I can frequent the websites of my favorite artists and obsess over my favorite pieces. Here are a few:

This is made from tiny pieces of soda cans cut into circles.
They all hang separately like a cool disco ball of awesome art.
Find the artist here.

Blown glass ya'll. So cool.
Find the artist here.

Look at her eyes. This is charcoal on wood. UGH I WANT.
Find the artist here.

This is called "Nothing Darker than Light"
This artist was so amazing. She's like Dali.
Find the artist here.

American Flag made in a suitcase with shirts, ties, jeans, and change. WHAT.
Find the artist here.

A typewriter made of recyclable materials.
This is the same artist as the suitcase.
Very talented and very kind.

I just. I can't with this one.

Please visit the websites of the artists I featured here and if you can get down to the art show DO IT. It's an incredible event and not one of my words or pictures can do it justice. 

Thank you artists for sharing your gifts with me. You are lovely.