Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Monteagudo.
Miguel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Born in a family of full-time artists, I grew up surrounded by clay, acrylics, heavy tools, pottery wheels, flip books, cameras, old photos and odd objects.
Throughout my childhood, I was also in close contact with nature. Catching land crabs, contemplating peaceful landscapes for hours while fishing. My family was constantly hitting the road to discover our beautiful and chaotic country, Venezuela.
As a teenager, growing up in the 90’s in the middle of the skateboarding culture, I was blown away by the images of pro skateboarders weightlessly flying over cars and staircases. The distortions of the fisheye lenses, photo-sequences, and of course, all the graphic design culture around it, made me fall in love with visual communications.
Curiosity did the rest. At a very young age, a hunger to capture images grew in me; a desire to translate them into something else. My school books were slowly transformed into sketchbooks and flipbooks. My room into a studio.
Since I moved to California in 2014, I have been able to enjoy its amazing national parks, the wildlife, and its epic sunsets. This has kept my interest in nature photography alive.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
For me, photography is very unique. It is like a filter of sounds, temperature, shapes… It is like a cocktail of perception. When I hold my camera I feel like a hunter; like I am the owner of time for a brief moment. Then, something stays, sometimes forever. I love that feeling.
As a photographer, I prefer to be open for the moment or subject to reveals itself to the camera. That way the image is more genuine and timeless. That’s why I find my smartphone’s cameras very handy for the photographic work I do.
Nature is probably the most interesting subject for me. All those nature-made monuments and models are there, perfect, shameless. No human hand is taking credit for it. They are just waiting for us to be discovered.
Not long ago I found this quote that I feel is perfect “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” It has become like a mantra for me. The possibility to capture the union of preparation and opportunity gets my adrenaline pumping, moving me to do more. I go outdoors looking for new challenges and open my eyes to time.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
For me, the biggest challenge is to cope with the overwhelming avalanche of information, trends, and tools that are available to us. Although this incredible stream of information and platforms is constantly opening new ways to showcase our work, it can also distract us from what really matters to artists: to create freely. To remain true to myself, I try using that same force and transforming it into something that enhances and enriches my art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.miguelmonteagudo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miguelmonteagudo/
Image Credit:
Photos by: Miguel Monteagudo
Sebastian Monteagudo @kachikamo – personal photo
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