Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Cunningham.
Hi Robert, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I can remember, I have always known I would do something that required me to be artistic and dive into my creativity headfirst. Lucky for me, that thing ended up being photography after years of trying to find my medium, as I transitioned from poetry, which is now my second passion, to photography, which is currently and most consistently my primary passion.
The magic of poetry and photography is that you get to tell stories, and I specifically choose to tell the stories of my people as much as I can because if we, as the people, don’t, then who will? The lives we live are so significant and impactful on a variety of scales, and being able to exhibit that keeps me moving beyond belief.
I think it’s worth noting that I use my art to express myself and cope with the traumas the world constantly inflicts on us. I use my art to show the world that there is still beauty in the ugly. Through all the chaos, it’s essential to remember that the world isn’t over, and the fight for a better world shouldn’t be either.
I believe art is one of the strongest ways to heal the world, our wounds, and most importantly, our minds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It wasn’t a smooth road. Early on, I resisted learning about things. I published a poetry book without considering proper formats and actual research. I started doing photoshoots without understanding what each of the settings is supposed to do. My first photoshoot was so bad that I deleted it from the SD card, and there are literally no traces of it anywhere. I laugh about it now because of how far and confident I’ve grown as a photographer.
I thought I could jump right in and be exactly like the people who did their research and spent time learning about the things they loved and chose to pursue. A doctor can’t be a great doctor if they don’t spend that time in the lab, in the books, or in the field. Luke Skywalker fought Darth Vader before he was truly ready, and as a result, he lost a hand.
You have to crawl before you can run, and that was a lesson I chose not to understand at the time. There are no regrets, and I wouldn’t change a thing, though. Sometimes jumping in the pool before knowing how to swim is precisely how you learn.
“Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards sorta being good at something” – Jake, the Dog.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Overall, I am a poet and photographer above all things. A mentor of mine called me “a photographer that shoots like a poet,” and since then, that’s always stuck with me. That said, nowadays, I’m a photographer who specializes in editorials and telling stories within them. It’s almost impossible for me to post a shoot on Instagram without telling my audience what it took for us to get there, or why this photoshoot needed to happen, and why that story needed to be told.
Due to that fact, I would say I’m likely most known for my photography than anything else. Although I’ve grown significantly as a photographer, I’m most proud of the community that’s been built within Art For Goons, not only over the five years of the brand’s existence, but also over the past two years, during which I’ve taken it seriously.
I think that’s the thing that sets me apart from others, because, yes, my photography and art are essential to me, the people are just as, if not more, important than the art, because if there were no people, my art would not exist.
A friend of mine called me “The Community Pillar”, another name that has stuck with me since hearing it, and has given me a lot of pride in the work I do, especially when it comes to telling the stories of the lives around me.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
As clichéd as it may sound, I think the biggest risk is getting started. After getting started, the second biggest risk is putting yourself and your art out there for the world to perceive and interpret how they may. I started Art For Goons as an extension of myself, because I only wanted people who truly wanted to see my work to see what I have to offer as an artist. I didn’t want to start posting my work in mass on my personal platform, slightly out of fear, but also because I felt like my work deserved its own space to live and be unapologetic in its most raw form.
At any given moment, someone can enter the comment section or message me, saying, “You lost your touch,” and that’s a risk I have to take. It’s up to me to let that tear me down or let that push me forward. I think many people are scared of being perceived, so they don’t live up to the greatness they have brewing inside them.
I think more people should take risks. Try that new dance move at the club, join in on the electric slide even if you don’t know it yet, try that new painting technique, start writing that book, ask that pretty girl if she wants to grab a cup of coffee – that last one was more so for me, but you get the point. Putting yourself out there will invite the things meant for you, and because of that, you might as well embrace it.
Take that first risk. Get started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artforgoons.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artforgoons/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-keith-cunningham/
Image Credits
Robert Cunningham (@artforgoons)
Visit artforgoons.org to view the rest of our amazing photo gallery! 🙂
