Leanna Valente One Big Art Hustle

Leanna Valente

ONE

BIG

ART

HUSTLE

Interview by ChrisRWK (Robots Will Kill) Photos by Leanna Valente

I met Leanna awhile ago, I believe while I was painting a wall or at an art show. After speaking with her and bonding over our 9-5 jobs and how much we hate how much time they take up we talked about how much it made us appreciate our passion projects. She’s taken photos of some of the best artists out there on top of creating some amazing artwork.

Can you tell me a little about what your day job is? My day job is as a senior account manager for a mega-large (too large), industrial supply company. I manage and grow a group of corporate accounts, selling around $2.3 million per year, yet living paycheck to paycheck oddly. I love sales and business in general, it’s in my blood and being responsible for my own day and time at least, the best part. It’s like running your own business but it’s not yours, whatsoever.

What’s your side project? While the day job is my left brain, my side project is from the right side - my lifeblood, which is art, everything art related. It changes depending on what I am working on, whether focusing on my mixed media contemporary art, art blogging, photography of street art and graffiti documentary projects (often for art magazines), curating, doing books/zines, or whatever else, it’s all related as one big “art hustle.” Currently, I have a collage, mixed media series that I have been working on, evolving since 2008 and it is all fashion based. Well, most of my art is fashion based entitled “Changing The Art of Fashion” as I manipulate the covers and pages of fashions magazines from the glamour to grit, the way I see it. Or the way me as an artist sees it. Also related is an interactive curated book/ zine project called “Style Black Book.” Here, various top graffiti, street and contemporary artists do their thing on the cover of fashion magazines – thus “changing the art of fashion.” The first book had 68 pages; the second with 124 and the third will begin curation soon.

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...it’s all in my blood like breathing air, not doing it isn’t an option.

How did you get involved with photography? I have been shooting out on the streets for about 20 years long before social media and on film. However, when living in NYC (where I am from), my apartments were always so small I stopped doing my mixed media collage art as I had no room, so photography moved to the front of the list.

Can you talk about your Polaroid project? The “Instant Art Exposure” project began in May of 2013 during a mural festival on my block in Astoria, Queens. I had this camera sitting there and thought let’s play around with this for fun. I had normally been shooting graffiti and street/mural artists and that day, I asked artists to sign their photos while working, like in a timeline. And, a few portrait shots after. Fast forward and I now have over 1,400 photos signed by some of the most prolific, famous and creative painters out there going back to the Wild Style crew of the 80’s to the current incredible muralists and street artists, who are still in their 20’s

from all around the world. A book will come out eventually, with the forward written by my friend and Martha Cooper. It might take another few years as there have been some big stumbling blocks. Whether I self publish or pick a “true” publisher – this monster will happen! But, I need help and what I have received so far did not pan out. I can’t do this one alone.

What’s your main driving force for doing your side projects? Since there are a few aspects to my side (art) projects it’s all in my blood like breathing air, not doing it isn’t an option. I see things and I want make “something” inspired by it, I want to photograph it, or do a show revolving around it. You never know…but the driving force is just the “obsession.”

How much of your day job crossed over into your side project? None, except being able to pay for art supplies and such via the day job. Sometimes I am lucky to come across a client who is

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31“into art” and we build a nice rapport, which is an unexpected plus. We usually become friends. I then look forward to switching over to the “art” in the early evenings.

Would you quit your day job to do your side project full time? Is so why, if not why? Yes! However, being 100% self sufficient with no other financial support it would need to pay ALL of the bills and then some. Quitting without a solid plan is not an option, sadly. If I had the funds available I would build an art empire including everything from my art, to various collaborative books, to grand scale exhibits and projects and a section revolving around the business side of things and art law, which is last on most artists lists. I would have an entire department for this and the business side of things.

How can people contact you? For my art hustle people can see good ol’ social media such as my art website at www.leannavalenteart.com, Instagram @leannav and the blog at www.theartsalonnyc.com.

You’ve done a few publications, print releases etc. What has been your favorite project so far? All of it, as long as I am making something or developing a project, most importantly evolving. I literally love and am obsessed by it all. Seeing the Style Black Books completed and of course putting on a great exhibit of my new work are all favoites. Hard to pick just one.

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