ARTIST SPOTLIGHT MICHELLE CAROLINA LEVIE
Michelle Carolina Levie is a fine art photographer that has always found her inspiration in the beauty of nature. Born in the US, she grew up mostly in The Netherlands, and currently lives in beautiful Madrid, Spain
A citizen from the world, I was born in the US. My parents are Colombian and Dutch. This mixture from the beginning made me curious to see and understand the world around me and myself. Art was always present growing up and captured my attention from a young age.
On a mission to travel and experience I moved to NYC and studied at The School of Visual Arts which was the most incredible experience and shaped my world from then on. From that point on I have lived and exhibited in Amsterdam, London and now Madrid. I have had the pleasure to work and meet some amazing people and artists, which have brought me to where I am now. Recently I finished my Master’s program at PHotoEspaña and self-published my first book “Raíces”.
Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences.
Nature is my greatest inspiration and it is a goal in my work to stand up for it, capture its magnificence, and maybe even immortalize it as I see change within our climate. It teaches me the beauty and tranquility I want my pictures to reflect. Most importantly going to all these different places shows me new cultures and get to meet people that share their life stories and teach me.
All types of art forms and artists are great influences to me. Painting, literature and music inspire me and make me want to push boundaries and merge mediums. The materials that are used in a work add to the story and perception. I love playing with that; in my photography mostly. Going to galleries, museums and artist studios, seeing others art is part of the unending education.
How are the current trends in technology and innovation affecting your work as a creative?
I think technology now-a-days has pushed creative boundaries and there are some pretty incredible and complex ways artists work at the moment. As I mentioned before all mediums and materials have a way to speak to their viewer. I prefer working with my hands and with photographic equipment that works for me. There are so many visuals around us on a daily, viewing more quality than quantity is a difficult part.
We’d love to hear more about your creative process.
Time has a pretty important role in my creative process. It is an intuitive process that is effected by what I am seeing, feeling and reading in that moment of time. I rarely work in a linear manner, I always going back and forth and jump from mediums. An example would be my recent book, where I published a selection of 40 images which were taken in a span of 7 years. There was a clarity of what pictures I wanted to use while going through my archive and they merged into the story I wanted to tell. In painting it is similar as I go back and forth with sizes, materials and inspirations. I like experimenting and being surprised with the results, so try to learn different techniques and love playing with texture and color.
What do you think of the art world and how it works in general?
The art world is a beautiful and harsh. I am still learning, understanding and making my way into the world. One of the powers art has is to create change and believe that is true on many different levels. The art world felt a shift after Covid-19, I think they were forced like many other industries to reinvent themselves and so did artists. The traditional ways of exhibiting and sharing work is in a change due to technology as well. The white walls are not a must anymore - I think people love to be immersed, surprised and touched by art in many different ways. The playing field is greater en more open to anybody who is enticed by it.
Anything coming up that we should know about?
At the moment I am in a creative mode, I have been thinking a lot about what I’ve produced over the years and my current paintings. This year has been exciting with a few great shows in Spain, The Netherlands and publishing my first book that I am very grateful for. After the craziness of the past 2 years, it was very exciting to be out there and share my work again in real life. These coming months I’ll be working in my studio, organizing some studio visits, shoots and planning some fun stuff for next year!
What does wellbeing mean to you and anything in particular that you practice?
Lightness and darkness are both important states to feel and especially come out while creating. With my work I try and express tranquility, peacefulness and calm. In current times I can get lost in news headlines, chaos and of course just life in general. It urges me to tell those stories differently and step into serene, beautiful and hopeful pictures.
Personally, I am a spiritual person and extract that from what various people have taught me over the years. I believe we are just a tiny piece in this universe and therefore find peace and inspiration in nature. To stay balanced I try and practice yoga, workout, read, cook and eat well, however it is sometimes hard for me to stay in that consistent flow. I am an evening owl and get tempted by the movement of the night as well.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you so much for having me. Love collaborating and sharing! For the viewers if you have any questions or what to know more, feel free to reach out.
www.mcl-photography.com or @m.c.l.photograph.
