photography

The Meaning of Art (Vinson Lim, photographer, videographer, designer, entrepreneur interview)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Human beings have a knack for finding meaning in just about anything. It’s supposedly in our collective nature to assign those meanings so that we can make the world around us just a little more clearer and lovely.

We don’t do this to grow into some ultimate truth, but because there is just far too much information to take in at any given moment. And consequently understanding each other isn’t any easier as we age. Loving people, reducing a need for gratification, overcoming fears (and a host of other insecurities), and accepting ourselves are all important lifestyle choices in the quest for meaning.

But what if you are a creative person?

Vinson Lim generally takes the position that being an artist shouldn’t elevate you above other humans beings, it really should only work as an expression of self… and at the core of his answers is the theme of acceptance in life. By letting go of hate, and truly being present at all times, that’s when we are able to create interesting work.

Whether it’s through a practice of meditation, as addressed in the interview preview, or by simply spending time with our families, Vinse accepts that his art will always be evolving based on how he is living his life.

And he is especially aware of this having just entered into fatherhood for the first time. But unlike so many other creative people, his art doesn’t inform his life choices, but rather his life choices determine how he demonstrates his creativity.

Vinse might be acting as a photographer today, but he is willing to switch hats on the fly to access his videography skills, graphic design education or even to play some music for friends and family.

I’m not going to give away his viewpoints on the meaning of life, art, and everything in-between. But I can say with utmost confidence, that this interview will make you think, and we’re both hoping that just might make you feel too.

I think you’ll learn something from Mr. Lim

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I always find it cathartic to have a heavier discussion on the meaning of it all, dear readers. I hope that this interview resonated the same way for you.

But even if it didn’t, please let us know what you thought of the interview! What was your favourite question? Do you agree with what Vinson Lim said? Do you disagree? He is a very talented photographer, so if  you’re interested, feel free to check out his Facebook page, Instagram, and website for yourself! The meaning of life might still be one of the greatest questions of all time, but dammit if Vinse isn’t fascinating to listen to.

And special thanks to Vinse for being vibrant, vulnerable and virtuous. Without his thoughts on the meaning of it all, I might not have come to the realization that being positive and standing in my truth isn’t enough, it’s important to reach out to the lost and the lonely too. A pretty good theory.

Tim!

Meditate On This (Vinson Lim interview preview)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

There is a lot to be said about the importance of discipline, meditation and reflecting on your creative projects upon completion… Whether you shoot video, take photos, design logos or any of the other convention commercial arts, timelines and making the work count is a necessary evil of the job. People pay for expertise, and so you have to look at your art as a business in order to satisfy client needs, but what about the importance of inspiration?

Vinson Lim has come to accept that you need a healthy dose of both in order to achieve greatness as an artist. Truly talented individuals can live in the moment all they way, and produce high volumes of work too, but it’s even more important to take care of your health, and develop intelligent practices to maintain the workflow for years to come.

And so I asked Vinse the question – how often do you find yourself in a state of meditation when you work?

I wanted to see if he actively reflects on life or if there is simply rituals in place that fuel the fire and keep things going even when the spark of youth has left us. This is just a taste of our broader discussion on spiritual alignment, but I promise you’ll get a lot out of hearing what Vinse has done over more then a decade of shooting fashion photography, commercial product photos, living the weekend warrior life of wedding photography, and make artistic work too.

It’s an amazing introduction to the topic of spiritual alignment, and while this might be considered a heavy topic, Vinse has a great ability to present his thoughts in a meaningful way. But enough from me, it’s time for you to watch the video and see for yourself.

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Fun fact, I’ve known Vinse for quite a few years now, but it has been a while since we’ve been in touch. I’m truly impressed with how much he has matured in half a decade, taking on husband duties and now a father as well. But I’d rather not go into those details just yet, better to save them for the official interview, which I will be releasing next week!

That said, if you’ve enjoyed this introductory question and answer on the importance of meditation, please like and share the video, and of course leave some comments if anything really stood out or if you’ve got a good example of balancing inspiration and ritual in your own artistic practice.

More theories on the way, especially with this Our Lady Peace review coming out tomorrow! Check back soon!

Tim!

The Art of Weddings (Weddings)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Yoo hoo. It’s been awhile since I just rapped with you boo. At least a week or two.

Wedding season is upon us.

This is the time of year when true love reigns, people are getting married all over town and breeding like rabbits. Hence, why there are so many damn March and April babies in the world. If you want some math, to prove it, take todays date and subtract three month (human gestation takes nine months), and bingo bango, you land on April.

In case you didn’t know, a wedding is millennia old ritual that consists of a ceremony where two people are are joined in matrimony. Sometimes it’s holy and sometimes its a civil union. Either way it’s legal and for real. What I mean by this is that while wedding traditions and customs are varied all over the world, each one is a commitment made between two people, officiated, and witnessed by at least one over person. When you get into questions of ethnicity, culture, religion and social standing, then the details of how it shakes out, when the ceremony happens, what precedes and follows, all change and make for a unique situation every time.

What never changes is that it is a special occasion between two people, and one which needs to be captured, as a moment in time. Usually vows and rings are exchanged, a dance is shared, and speeches are given. This is where the art often comes in.

Musicians and disc jockey build the ambience, poetry, prayers and speeches need to be written, photographers and videographers take images and video, some designers decorate the space, and others fashion outfits.

All of this just for one day. A seemingly recession-proof industry. Now, I’m not here to tell you whether you should believe in marriage, weddings or any of it, but I do think you should consider what your role as a creative professional is within the spectrum of wedding season, because I know a few people in the industry who absolutely do make money providing the services I listed above. This might be a small consideration, but this post just might give you some ideas of how you could get a piece of the pie yourself.

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This might seem like an obvious post to some, but I’m hoping for you creative cutie, that this was an opportunity to realize you can do it. No matter what you think, you deserve success, you’re willing to reach out and grab it. So grab it and make it happen dear readers. The season is upon us, celebrate good times. Come on!

Tim!

Discover Their Stories (Women’s History Month)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Today I wanted to write about some cool cats I know. Well not personally, but nonetheless, individuals who make great art and inspire all of us to be better human beings.

Memes aside, a moment for all of the ladies who make art despite facing incredible challenges every day, is not nearly enough.

I’m doing this in acknowledgement and praise of Women’s History Month. Which is a pretty big deal if you stop to think about it.

This is not going to be a post where I pretend to know the details of women’s history, because quite frankly, I’m not an expert on any kind of history, save maybe art history, and even then I’m not actively thinking about it often enough to claim mastery. No, this is a post for me in which I get to share with you some artists which I think need more attention and why I like them. Not “like” like them, just like them as professionals. Some of them are more known than others, but regardless of stature, these creatives are important and make great art.

Now I should address some hesitations my Canadian readers will likely have first. Yes I live in Canada, and technically that means I should be celebrating this event in October with the rest of my ilk, but quite frankly, I needed something to share this week and we share a border with Americans. And in case you didn’t know they’ve been running this event nationally since 1987, whereas we only picked it up in 1992. Shocking I know.

Insert Privilege Here

It’s a privilege for me to be able to write about these women, primarily because of the internet and a post-secondary education which taught me better. And that is a sad sad thing, so my hope is that you read these little snippets and take some time yourself to learn about these artists.


Marilyn Minter is an American artist who has been active since the 1980s. Her work often features sexuality and erotic imagery. Working in both photography and painting, Minter looks at the various roles of feminism, fashion and celebrity as they relate to idealizations of identity. Having published works in major American magazines and television she is known for being controversial and never loyal to one brand, medium or group. Minter has had exhibitions all over the world including Les Rencontres d’Arles festival in France, shows in Spain and Germany, being showcased in MoMa frequently. She teaches at the MFA department at the School of Visual Arts in New York and recently had a retrospective of her work in 2015. http://www.marilynminter.net/

Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard were musical re-pioneers of what was a defunct form of music now popular once more – folk. The genre was given a boost back in the 1950s, and the duo of Dickens & Gerrard were at the forefront making friends and breaking hearts. Dickens, focused on bluegrass and acted as double bass, while Gerrard, also a singer, played both banjo and guitar, making them rather successful as both solo recording artists and as a pair. Their varied singing styles made use of both Dicken’s high-pitch and Gerrard’s love for crooning and shouting. The pair performed late into their lives but Dickens passed on in April of 2011.

 

 

Julie Taymor is an American director of theater, opera and film. She is definitely best known for directing the stage, as she has been responsible for The Lion King musical, which netted her two Tony Awards, a first for a woman at the time. She has also directed broadway musicals for Spider-man and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Taymore has an Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Oscar nomination, which is how I got to know her work. Directing films like Titus, Frida, and Across The Universe, Taymor has a natural aptitude for theatre which has spread throughout the performance arts.  Taymors work on Frida was substantial and got the film two Academy Awards – one for makeup and the other for costume design.

 

 

This might seem like a small sampling of professional women to showcase for this post dear readers, but my hope here is to demonstrate that women permeate throughout the arts, and that this is merely a drop in the bucket of talented creatives out there. And these are some of my personal favourite artists too, I could’ve listed off Tracy Emin, Cindy Sherman, Sofia Coppola, Sarah Polley, Debra Granik, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, Leslie Fiest, La Roux, Adele, and tons of others, but then I would just be making lists, and this is about celebrating women.

A privilege in and of itself.

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So where’s the wisdom you ask?  Well, I’ll leave you with this quote by Susan B. Anthony and see if you can glean something from it. And I hope for damn sure that it’s absorption rate is quick, thorough and positively altering, and not a wasted theory.

It was we, the people, not we, the white male citizens, nor yet we, the male citizens, but we, the whole people, who formed this Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people — women as well as men.
– Susan B. Anthony
We’re only telling half a story in many cases, but a half does not make us whole.
Tim!

Reach For The Stars (David Wiens interview, Perseverance)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Perseverance has always been about the long game.

Single people who are attracted to a friend, remain purely friends and wait until that person becomes single or interested, then focus on being sexual at the appropriate time, will follow this mantra.

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Thieves use it when they are trying to coerce people out of their money, often with elaborate plans that involve emotions, a false sense of security, and a final change of money or account ownership at the last second to sneakily gain said funds.

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Politicians do it too – when they are negotiating with another party. They will appear weak at first in order to gain a stronger position later on and gain the upper hand, so that they can acquire that which they really wanted in the first place, power and prestige.

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And while those 3 instances are perfect set up examples to demonstrate the value of perseverance in this thing we call life, it can be used in other avenues. And because timotheories is about digital curating at heart, I think I’ve found one example which we can all benefit from, whether we are fully functioning creative professionals or just starting out.

You see, dear readers, it can be challenging to succeed as an artist, no matter what your stripe, but often, the best teacher in life is experience, and I know just the man to get you your allotted life lesson.

That’s right, we’re going to review the final feature length interview with my personal friend, David Wiens. Which means we’ve now reached episode 9 of this incredible series which both highlights artists who deserve exposure, and supplies you with teachable moments. It’s win-win in the long game.

David Wiens is a photographer with an incredible insight of the product photography industry, and he has dedicated the better part of a decade to gain these skills and become an expert in his particular niche. He has applied all sorts of principles from the broader discipline of photography so that he can have his choice of both full-time and freelance jobs.

He realized long ago that in order to make it as an artist, he would have to not only walk the walk and talk the talk, but never balk the balk. Bad pun? Probably, but you get the point.

Besides, you aren’t entirely here for my comedy, you want to watch that sweet sweet interview, and I’ve made you wait long enough. This is truly my most dedicated effort yet, and one which I’m incredibly proud of. I promise.

As always, if you want to check out more timotheories interviews or the Cross Talk series please visit our YouTube channel.  And please, please, please share this post and of course subscribe to both the blog and channel!

Please also check out David’s website to see his portfolio and to contact him for creative services.

And of course my sincerest thanks to David for being decisive, dedicated, and dynamic. See you tomorrow with an album review that’s kind of profane.

Tim!