Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaila Coleman.
Hi Kaila, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started taking photos in high school when I was required to take an art course in order to graduate. I loved it so much that I decided to attend the University of Colorado Boulder to pursue my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I ultimately ended up graduating with my degree in English, a minor in journalism, and a minor in linguistics with a specialization in Shakespearean studies. While in college I started publishing my art in any journal I could find. My first publication was in a journal that was run by the university. Once I got a taste I continued to find places to publish and pursued my art in any capacity in my classes.
After I graduated I wanted to continue to push the boundaries of my art and began entering my photos into any art call I could find that I felt my pieces would fit. After a couple of online publications and features with Gallerium and Artistonish, I decided to see if I could find representation in a physical gallery.
I was very fortunate to have found Geoff who curated The Walnut Gallery in Longmont, Colorado, and maintained a residency for a year in his gallery. While in the gallery I found an opportunity to be featured in The Cultural Center of Cape Cod for an exhibition entitled “Empowerment vs. Exploitation.” I now live on the East Coast and am finding my place in the art world while pursuing my law degree.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Pursuing any life in art is a challenge because imposter syndrome is such a real problem. It took me a long time to pursue sales or justify selling my pieces because they felt personal and it felt that my art was from my perspective. I truly didn’t believe my art was very accessible to the public. It took a lot of support from my friends and family before I started submitting to art calls.
The cost of pursuing prints and gallery-ready exhibits was also a big barrier that created challenges in my career. I was very fortunate to find a local printing company that was really flexible with me and allowed me to play with materials and check all the pieces before they were sent or set up in any galleries. I was able to get very comfortable with the company and that helped me feel like I could trust my pieces would be well represented.
Art very often inundates our every day and I found it difficult to feel like my art was original or new or even up to the standard of the art I was seeing. Being able to communicate with my curator and the printing company was so helpful because it reminded me that art is subjective in a really objective way. Every person exposed to my art would interpret differently and it was hard for me to not feel like I had to explain my intent.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a predominantly black-and-white fine art photographer. The majority of my work lies in landscape as well as focused on photographic displays of political ideologies or movements. I have a great passion for appreciating all that surrounds us as individuals. I also firmly believe in the idea that a picture says a thousand words.
For a lot of my work, I have tried to position people to think and reflect on social constructs that are not comfortable to discuss. Art has been and will always be a medium to push the boundaries of social constructions and I believe as an artist we have a beautiful opportunity to show what is appealing about our world and what is less than appealing.
Because of my subject choices and my editing style, I am known for my high-contrast black-and-white photos that push people to ask hard questions and allow people to pause and reflect on how our behaviors impact others. I am most proud of my piece that was shown in The Cultural Center of Cape Cod which was a commentary on emotional violence. It was displayed in a show entitled Empowerment v. Exploitation, a show for artists to display their interpretation of gender inequality. I will forever be honored to have been invited to be part of that show.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I was trained in film photography, so digital took me a long time to learn. All of my photos are edited with an eye trained in physical developer and print. I actually have to take all my photos in black and white because I struggle to balance the light correctly in color shots.
Contact Info:
- Website: charliekphotos.com
- Instagram: charliekphotos
Image Credits
Charlie K Photography
