Today we’d like to introduce you to Martinos Aristidou.
Martinos, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Sure, let’s start from the beginning. I was born in Cyprus, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. When I turned 18, I came to California to study Marine Biology. That didn’t last very long as I realized that my love for the ocean was more visceral than scientific and I quickly focussed my energy and efforts to studying and learning how to express myself visually as this was my true passion. I did a BA in film production at CSULB and an MA in Critical Studies at USC after that. That led me to editing TV shows for a living and later, discovering my love and talent for photography.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Well, I’m primarily a visual artist and storyteller. I express myself through photography, and I tell other peoples’ stories through editing documentaries. Most of my editing work comes through TV projects. I’ve edited shows for the majority of US and International major cable outlets and continue to grow.
As far as photography goes, I mostly shoot on commission as well as working on my own personal projects. I’m presently working on my first photography book. It’s a long term project of mine that documents the people and times of Mysore, a city in South India, through a narrative of candid street photography and portraits. I should mention here that I originally found myself there about six years ago to study yoga and that everything happened in quite a serendipitous way – through yoga, I found India, and through India, I found photography. So, I guess the message is, follow serendipity {laughs}!
I also welcome collaborations with other artists I connect with. I recently did a project with brilliant artist and fashion designer Chloe Trujillo, which is something we’re both very happy about as we got some beautiful images and the process was very fun!
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities, and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Yes. I’m glad you asked that as it’s a concern for many who choose an artistic path. I’d say find a niche where you can use an expression of your art to generate an income. For me, that niche was editing and what that did was that it gave me a financial foundation to explore other things like traveling and photography, which in turn, opened other doors for me. Keep doing what you’re doing, get good at it and let people know what you can do for them first, not the other way around. Be of service to the world and to your artistic vision and realize that true inspiration does not come from the ego – It comes from something that is channeled and expressed through you but is not of you. This is very important to understand as it will keep you humble and grounded and free to create without the unnecessary distractions (and destructions!) that an inflated ego can bring.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can see my photo work on my website at https://www.lensvagabond.com.
I’m also on Instagram at @lens_vagabond. I’m planning an exhibition soon to promote the book. I’ll post the details on my website as dates become firm.
As far as my editing work goes, well, you can catch it on TV! I’ve recently edited a few episodes of the tv show Hustle for Viceland. It’s a documentary show focussed on start-ups and the hard journey the entrepreneurs go through to find success. Another project I worked on recently will start airing on EPIX this month. It’s working title was Wanderlove (subject to change), and it documents what sex has come to mean in the present day and age. It’s pretty edgy and graphic so be warned!
Next, I’m headed to NYC in July to work on a new Netflix documentary series at ITV called American Ventures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lensvagabond.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @lens_vagabond
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinos.aristidou
Image Credit:
Martinos Aristidou
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