CREATIVES SHAKING THE INDUSTRY
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Issue n°001 – Summer 2019
Features
Lauren Tepfer Inside a Cotton Candy Suburbia p. 08 – 10
pf
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Olivia Bee
Olivia Bee The Photographic Journal p. 04 – 07
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La
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Olivia Bee
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I like it where it gets dark at night, and if you want noise, you have to make it yourself. – H. Beam Piper
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Editor’s Note
a quick thought for ......
What would it look like to activate creative power in your own life? We can work on it from two ends. For one, we can take stock of the ways we’ve used power to manipulate, dominate or control in ways that were not healthy and choose to start operating in a different way. Secondly, some of us need to start admitting to the untapped creative power that we have access to. We’re all gifted with our respective portions of power and influence, and we need to be ready to use our spheres of influence (large or small) for love and service, instead of denying they exist. Do not accept the idea that you are without gifts, talents, a unique perspective, an imagination and the ability to discern right and wrong. These capacities grant you ample creative power to help heal the world and bring new, good things into being. That said, most of us move from different degrees of power and influence throughout our days and weeks. We may have a privileged position in our home, but marginalized position in our workplace. We may have a privileged position at our church, but a marginalized position in our community. If you’re in a place of power: Maybe you’ve gotten to a point in your career where you’ve achieved a level of privilege and respect. Perhaps you’re in a management position where you supervise others. If you haven’t already, consider creating a system for your power to be checked. Create safe spaces for others to offer suggestions or critique of the way things are done. Ask questions frequently of your associates and employees to get their feedback.
Also, give away responsibilities where you see strengths in others around you. Teach someone else to do something that you do well, without considering her a threat. Also, cultivate an area of your life where you’re not in authority, e.g. get tutored in a new language or musical instrument. That humility will give you the perspective you need to be a better leader. If you’re feeling powerless: Even if we pursue creative power, we will continually encounter agents of zero-sum power who subtly or overtly exercise power-at-its-worst. The battle against toxic power can be fought subversively as we choose to counter enmity with love. Be radical about pursuing empathy and truly understanding where others are coming from. Beware of dehumanizing and stereotyping thoughts about those on the other side of the power dynamic. And be ready and willing to educate and share your viewpoint when the time is right.
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Lauren Tepfer a 19 year-old photographer from suburban New Jersey.
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Interview by Lauren Brown — Photography by Lauren Tepfer
It’s been about a year since I’ve
the cinematic eye that lies within.
been admiring New Jersey based
got a new one and I remember always running around outside
photographer Lauren Tepfer. The
What is your earliest memory
taking photos on my little
first thing that drew me in was the
of photography?
handheld cameras.
photos evoke. The photos of an
I can’t remember any specific
Are there any photographers
East Coast suburb that’s teaming
early moments in my life that
with roses and feels like the land
and/or artists that inspire
relate to photography, although
of Oz complete with poppy
growing up I was always shooting.
your work or process?
fields. I decided to ask her a few
My aunt often gave me her lend-
Yes! I derive a lot of my inspiration
questions relating to her work and
me-down cameras whenever she
from photographers like Todd
wonderland type setting that her
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Hido, Patrick Joust, Olivia Bee and Joel Meyerowitz. I also
music videos have inspired you?
am inspired a lot by musicians,
I am so obsessed with the film
especially Sia – her visuals are
Her which is directed by Spike
always so next level!
Jonze. The cinematography is gorgeous and terribly exquisite. I
What keeps you motivated?
also really love the Stranger Things
This is so broad, I love it! I obtain
cinematography (obviously)!
a lot of motivation through the people I surround myself with. Everyone I associate with are always doing amazing things and
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do first?
it’s so inspiring – it makes me want to do better and better! I also
If I could travel anywhere in the
am motivated a lot by the future,
world, I’d probably go to Paris! It
I want to do the best I can for
seems so dreamy. I would spend
myself and I know it’s important
my entire time there shooting!
for me to work hard.cinematic eye that lies within.
Take a photo of something in your room that means something to you. Why is it important? This is one of my Rookie Yearbooks. I couldn’t find the rest of my collection but Rookie is such an important part of my life, I get so much inspiration from everyone at Rookie.
What music do you listen to during/before/after your shoot? I listen to alot of Regina Spektor, Gabrielle Aplin, LANY, The Lumineers, Bon Iver and Sia.
Your photos have a cinematic quality to them. What films/
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Lastly, do you remember your last dream? I don’t, but for a long time I kept having this recurring dream where I would be outside and look up in the sky and there would be multiple moons. It was so cool and super creepy at the same time, I’m sure it was symbolic for something!
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Olivia Bee a 25 year-old photographer director from Portland, Oregon.
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Interview by Lou Noble — Photography by Olivia Bee
I couldn’t have been more excited to
her, was how grounded she was, despite
talk with Olivia. I’d followed her work for
her success, and despite her obvious
years on Flickr, saw her electric rise from
abilities as a photographer. I was surprised
an enthusiast to a talented professional,
at her rooted sense of self, and impressed
watched her work evolve and astound.
at her drive. Many people, they’ve one or
What struck me most in our conversation,
the other, but it was exciting to talk with
and from the few times I’d gotten to meet
someone who had so much of both. NOISE
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trying to work on my story-telling
fun, but I think that’s changing
you focused more on work or
abilities, character development,
a lot because I’m starting to set
on play?
stuff like that. Also, the nature of
up more dreamscapes, and set
Where you are right now, are
my work is changing, like I used to
up more situations for people to
Work. I feel like the last year of
run around with kids all the time
have a really good time in, rather
my life, I’ve worked a lot, but I’ve
and we’d go have a blast and
than just happening upon this
also been busy falling in love, and
take pictures, but I feel like now
magical place in San Francisco
been busy figuring out my friends
that I live in New York, people’s
where a bunch of kids are having
in New York, and seeing them
idea of fun as you get to 21 is
fun or on drugs or whatever. So…
off as they go to college. I’ve
going to a club, or going to a
things are changing.
always been really work oriented,
bar, and stuff like that. I have less
when I say focused on play, I
of those magical photo-taking
You moved to New York a year
was still working every day, but
moments in my life because I’m
ago?
gave myself more time to mess
not 17 anymore. So I have to,
Two.
around. But now I’m definitely
not stage them, but set those up.
trying to hunker down more and
Like, we’re going on a road-trip
Two years ago. What was the
really focus more on long-term
from New York to Texas, that’s
reason for moving to New
projects, work on videos more,
what we just did after the Flickr
York?
and start training my brain that
thing (we first met Olivia at Flickr’s
way. I’ve also been reading a
inaugural 20 under 20 event, in
Well, I was living in Baltimore
bunch of books; I have a lot of
September 2014), and take a lot
right after high school, I’m from
down time right now, so I’ve been
of pictures. Or…I’m gonna plan
Portland. But my boyfriend in
reading a lot and watching a lot
a trip in the spring to go take
high school moved to Baltimore
of movies and listening to crying
a bunch of pictures. I’m more
because he was going to MICA
kids (there are children crying in
focused on work, but play is a
(the Maryland Institute College
the background. We have the
part of my work because a lot of
of Art). A lot of my friends were
authorities remove them), I’m just
my pictures are people having
moving out of Portland and I
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didn’t really have… I mean, there’s business in
I’m about to probably move closer to the city. I’m
Portland, but it wasn’t necessarily…I needed to
in Bushwick, so I would rather be either in South
make a change. So I moved to Baltimore because
Williamsburg or Lower Eastside – closer to all the stuff
I wanted to go to the east coast, I had never been
that happens in New York. I feel like a lot of the shit
to the east coast before. So that’s what I did. I
in Brooklyn…it’s like the same as what happened in
hated Baltimore, it was the worst time in my life, I
Portland when I was a teenager there. Kids hanging
was really deep super-depressed, struggling with
out, going to shows, which is great, but I’d like to
anorexia a lot, it was the worst 5 months of my life.
be around more of that, “we live in New York, it’s
Like, rock bottom. Then I moved to New York, and it
ridiculous!” and I want to take advantage of that.
was still pretty rough,
Things more specific
but I just couldn’t be
to New York.
in Baltimore anymore, and New York… everything in the world happens in New York, you might as well try it out. And for a year it was really hard. I feel
Do you feel that in moving to New York, do you feel that you’re going in the direction of bigger things?
like it’s kind of hard to
Yeah, totally. I’m not
make friends there if
sure if that has to do
you just move there. I
with…I guess that
wasn’t going to school,
has to do with New
I mean…I had my job,
York, but definitely
but when I work with
things are gaining
people that are a lot
momentum more. I
older than me, and
feel like ever since
especially at 18 moving
I started taking
to New York, it’s like “I
pictures, things
don’t know if I want to
have been slow
hang out with 30-year-
but consistently going up, so that seems to be how
olds all day, I should probably figure out people my
it’s still going, but that’s fine with me. People look
own age.” So it was hard initially making friends.
at my work…I’m in a lot of magazines, and people
And I’m also not super-extroverted, like, I can talk at
interview me, and I’ve got big things on the way,
a party and I can figure out my extroverted self, but
my client list is great. But it’s still like I’m not getting
I really do prefer one-on-one hang outs and being
ten calls a day for crazy shit. It’s more slow, which is
with good friends, or a group of really good friends
totally fine with me. I have a few commercial jobs
rather than going to a bar and meeting with 40
a year, my monetary situation is fine, I am with two
people. So that was hard for me in the beginning.
great agencies that keep me taken care of, and
What was your initial question? Why did I move to
I have free time to think about projects, at least
New York? Because everything in the world happens
right now! I’m sure in a month I’ll be slammed for
in New York! And now I’m there and I’m happy and
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months ago, where I was in New
like “that’s good, but it’s not
have a lot of people I follow on
York for a while, then I was in San
great.” Just keeping myself on the
Instagram, I’m trying to constantly
Fransisco speaking and having
ground…
feed myself with images and art
meetings for three days, then back to New York for two, then I went to Paris for five for a job, then I went back to New York for three, then I went to Madrid, then to Portugal, then I came back for three, four days in New York, then went to Las Vegas for four, then back to New York. It gets like that. That is my life pretty consistently.
So glad I recorded that, because I got lost about halfway through.
and what’s going on.
You make a point of it. I’ve noticed you’ve done at Yeah, so I don’t get overwhelmed
least two or three series nude,
by “oh I’m doing this crazy
all self-portraits, has that
awesome shit.” I’m never like
been a conscious move for
that, unless I am really on an
you? Of exploration?
ego trip, but that doesn’t really happen that often.
pictures of myself for a long
Which is perfectly okay, it’s healthy. It’s fine, but I’m working with my therapist to like not put myself
That happens all the time. Right
down so much. “Give yourself a
now I’ve got a little bit of down
break, it’s fine, it’s good that you
time, I’m working on a video
did good.” But yeah, of course I
that’s going out on Friday. Things
get overwhelmed sometimes on
are consistently going up, but I’m
a project, or a day that I have
not… today I’m not overwhelmed.
like 10 interviews. It really comes
That totally could change.
and goes, my life is so inconsistent that if I’m overwhelmed, I’m
That’s something I was gonna ask you. From what I’ve seen of your public life that you show on like Instagram, and Facebook and everywhere, it seems like you are continually doing more and more, bigger and bigger work, that your trajectory has clearly been going upward at all times. Does that ever overwhelm you?
really overwhelmed, but if I’m not overwhelmed, I’m not. That doesn’t answer your question at all. My life is so inconsistent.
You did, you do. You Do you look at other photographers’ work? Yeah, absolutely. I’m inspired by a bunch of different people. A bunch of my friends are doing
Naturally of course, anything will overwhelm you if there’s so much of it. Yeah, but I’m a pretty grounded person, and I put myself down a lot, so I’m always 22 NOISE
I’ve always taken, I’ve taken
really well, and I’m super super happy for them. I look at a bunch of photography, I look at a bunch of fashion, I look at a bunch of directing, I’m on Tumblr a lot, I
time, but I kind of didn’t do that for a few years just because, I didn’t know why, I just wasn’t in that…I’ve always taken pictures of myself, I took a lot of pictures of myself from 14 to 16, and then 17 to 19 I was kind of done with taking pictures of myself, but I’ve recently come back to that. I think that part of it is me growing up, and some of it is just the body as a tool. It’s not like “hey, look how great my ass looks in this picture!”
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LINDSEY EVANS –ARTS 403