Mama I’m a black weirdo! Shout out to Theesatisfaction for the love
BLACK WEIRDO OF THE WEEK #56 LAURENT
Name: Laurent Chevalier
From: Seattle, Washington (Outskirts)So, I born in California and grew up mostly north of Seattle as a country kid. Think dogs and chickens and ducks and overalls. I moved to NYC for law school and now I am a sorta city guy, having lived here for 8 years.
What is your craft/career/creative expression?My craft is photography, and currently just film photography. I use in an attempt to capture and share life moving along around me. I focus mainly on street/documentary photography and portraits.
How long have you been working at your craft?Well I bought my camera in 2004 I believe, and its still one of the few different ones that I use today. So I started then, but I had long lulls where I did not shoot at all. The last 2-3 years I have been more focused on developing both my craft, and the organization and sharing of my work.
Why do you consider yourself a Black Weirdo?If you’re black and from Seattle, you can’t really help it.But really, I think the whole black weirdo idea is not subscribing to the monolithic description of the black experience, and being true to where ever your experience leads you.What inspires you?My main inspiration is all of the little moments and nuances that make up life, and create our experiences as individuals. That is what I try to capture with my photography. Whether it is the small moments we pass by daily on the streets, or the representation of the essence of a person through portraiture.Who is your weird black muse?Thats a hard choice, but I think I’m going to go Kanye. Though perhaps not the most loved individual, I love the idea that he is always progressing and striving for another level. He is also an inspiration in applying creative thinking to different fields, and not just sticking to the one field he gained his acclaim through.
Links/Social Media:www.chevaliercreative.com (website); www.thebottomlesseye.tumblr.com (blog); @chevaliercreative (instagram)
Upcoming events/ projects?
Well I have a few series I am working on. Right now I am in the stage of seeking a location to partner with the present a show on some of my themed work (If anybody wants to work on that let me know). I also am working on a street photography photo book that I hope to release early 2015.