Andy Goodwin – A Photo Editor

The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own.  I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before.  In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find.  Please DO NOT send me your work.  I do not take submissions.

Today’s featured artist:  Andy Goodwin

MashUps: Messy on Purpose
Ham-Handed, Lo-Tech Collisions, Just Because

I’ll be turning 68 this year. That’s something I used to keep quiet, worried that clients might assume I was past my prime, too set in my ways, or not up to speed on the latest tech. The truth is, while I feel like I’m at the top of my game, business has slowed over the past couple of years. And I get the sense a lot of others are feeling it too. Fortunately, photography has always been both my livelihood and my passion, and I still feel inspired to create every day.

I’ve really been focused on two personal series over the past few years. One is Driftless Artists: Creative Portraits from Wisconsin’s Hidden Region (agoodwinphoto.com/Driftless-Artists) a long-term project that will become a book later this year. The other is something very different, a stream-of-consciousness series I call MashUps (agoodwinphoto.com/MashUps), that’s low-tech, messy, and deliberately unpolished. In many ways they’re the opposite of the overly perfect AI images we see so much of today. I make most of them late at night on my phone with images I’ve shot, drawn over, and combined. Sometimes I’ll pull in a scanner or Photoshop, but for the most part they’re quick, instinctive, and not overthought. MashUps have become my way of loosening up, stepping away from perfection, and letting the work just be what it is.

I was reminded how good it can feel to work more loosely when my friend John Craig, an incredible artist in his own right, took me to visit an artist named Robert in Wisconsin. Robert is largely undiscovered, and his work completely floored me. What struck me most is that he doesn’t carry the weight of making a living from it and doesn’t seem to need an audience. He creates because he has to, and there’s something deeply refreshing in that. Once he is discovered, I just hope the attention doesn’t chip away at that unrestrained way he creates. I’m not anti-AI, I use it myself, but I am getting tired of seeing everything come out looking so perfect. Lately, I’m more drawn to something rough, human, and a little messy.

MashUps aren’t supposed to make sense; they’re just the flip side of creating photographs that are deliberate and precise. And they make me smile, which is enough.

To see more of this project, click here

Instagram

Suzanne Sease is a creative consultant and former ad-agency senior art buyer. She works with both emerging and established photographers and illustrators to create cohesive, persuasive presentations that clients can’t resist.

Suzanne offers something rare: an insider’s perspective on how client’s source creative talent. Her deep understanding of the industry is underscored by her impressive resume: 11 years as senior art buyer at The Martin Agency, seven years as an art producer for Capital One, and stints with the art-buying department at Kaplan-Thaler and the creative department at Best Buy, where she applied her expertise to reviewing bids to see which were most likely to come in on budget. Over the years, Suzanne has worked with a wildly diverse range of clients, including Seiko, Wrangler, Bank One, AFLAC, and Clairol Herbal Essence. Now, as a consultant, she is equipped to problem-solve for her clients from an unusually dynamic point of view.

As a longtime member of the photo community, Suzanne is also dedicated to giving back. Through her Art of the Personal Project column on the popular website aphotoeditor.com, she highlights notable personal projects by well-known and up-and-coming photographers. The column offers these artists excellent exposure while reflecting Suzanne’s passion for powerful imagery.

Instagram