Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronny Rose.
Ronny, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I think much of my story has been about the process of trying on lives, like someone trying to find clothes in a store where nothing seems to fit. My childhood wasn’t exactly the happiest, and from a pretty early age I remember often feeling a great sense of loneliness and isolation, so creating became a way for me to cope and process, or sometimes just experience some form of catharsis and escape. I, however, was not one of those creative people who found a medium early and has been exploring it all my life. On the contrary, I’ve done long stints of immersion in different practices hoping to find a thing that “fit.” Saying it out loud the list sounds almost comically frenetic… theatre, sound design, performance art, painting, writing, furniture building, and eventually photography and filmmaking. Each practice was a period of obsession, and through each one, I seemed to get better at understanding both how to express myself, and how to find ways of connecting to the world around me.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
At this point in my life, my work is a synthesis of photography, filmmaking, and writing. Virtually all my work exists somewhere in the intersection of street photography, fine art, and documentary. I think growing up experiencing a lot of suffering I’m often drawn to projects that involve marginalization, trauma, or exploring the overlooked elements of places or peoples. However, I do utilize a good amount of self-portraiture, and often make photographs of the humans I love as part of my creative practice as well.
Regarding a “message” or a “hope for my work,” I guess I would like to make things that affect people on some emotional level, something that can help catalyze some feeling of empathy, and that people see my work as being an honest depiction of my experience and perception. Really though once your work leaves you, you kind of have to let go of any control over what people will see or feel.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I think in a lot of ways technology, the internet, and social media has lead to remarkable democratization of how creative work can be both made and experienced, but I also think along the way it’s changed the nature of how people interact with art. As a result, there can be a pressure on creators to “brand” themselves, or make things, which fit into a mold. It’s the difference between making work that you believe in, and making work you think will get you more shares… I truly believe the most beautiful work comes when an artist finds a voice that feels authentic to them, and they are willing to allow that voice to change and morph as they grow as a person.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
There are a few ways to see my work. I recently launched a multi-media documentary project about the lives/living conditions of refugees in Lebanon.
https://www.landofforgotten.com
Otherwise, the broader body of my work is at www.ronnyrose.com or my Instagram @ronnyrose is sort of a rolling feed of what I’m currently making or where I’m currently traveling to.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ronnyrose.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @ronnyrose http://instagram.com/ronnyrose/
- Other: https://www.landofforgotten.com
Image Credit:
Ronny Rose.
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