Today we’d like to introduce you to Piper Olivas.
Piper, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was never good with traditional schooling like math and history and both my parents are very creative people, so I fell into the art world as kind of a safety net. It felt natural and familiar to be in that world, and still does. I studied art at university and work for galleries primarily, so I’m very immersed in the fine art community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been pretty difficult to balance having my own art practice and also working for big art galleries. Most of my time is usually spent on the business side of art and sometimes I struggle to harness my own creative spark because at the end of the day I’m so burnt out. When you spend 8 hours a day talking about, looking at, and working with art sometimes when you get home or have a break you want to step away from it, so you maintain a fresh eye.
So that’s definitely the most difficult aspect of being an artist who also works in the business. Keeping a healthy balance.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love photography but was always slightly thrown off by the traditional gallery frame presentation. Sometimes I look at sculptures and paintings which are large and textural and I feel slightly jealous that photography is so flat and constrained. My practice primarily lies within that conversation, aka how can we break out of the photo mold.
I always shoot with film, and then I try and print my photographs on fabrics or unusual materials – such as vinyl or silk. Then I try and display them in new ways.
I love going to look at traditional black and white photographs in frames, it’s beautiful, and I’ll always respect it. But I think it’s cool to explore alternative presentations and see how photography can break molds.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Having to do with art, I was given a camera very young. I had the privilege of living in a very beautiful natural area with lots of wildlife. It was so fun to run around with my mom’s little 35mm and take pictures of birds and animals for hours every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: piperolivas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/______piper
