Today we’d like to introduce you to Anyes Galleani.
Anyes, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am an Italian-born, Los Angeles-based visual artist who uses photomontage and collage to create images and mixed media art exploring pop culture and urban landscapes.
A former fashion photographer and video director, I have lived in the Downtown Arts District since 1989, witnessing the neighborhood transformation from desolate to hip. There, I have used the streets as backdrops for my photographs and videos, making my own kind of street art, while observing a colorful array of graffiti, murals and posters come and go. As a consequence, my work reflects a multitude of influences from classical beauty and fashion photography to street art.
I have been working with photo and film montage since the early 90’s, creating images and videos. In 2011, my desire to find a more organic and original way than prints to bring my digital art into the real world led me to experiment with mixed media. By collaging paper, parchment and silk prints with aluminum foil and paint, I succeeded in transforming my images into one-of-a-kind artwork, receiving a welcome response from collectors and corporate art buyers.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have had a long career starting with analog photography in the 80’s, but I was always attracted to experimentation and new technology so I have experienced several highs and lows depending if I was in a learning or in a mastering phase of my journey. I also experienced being too far ahead of my time for some clients to feel comfortable, but in the end, it was all worth it because I cannot imagine having spent my life doing the same thing over and over, not being able to try new things.
What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
Since the art world is relying more and more on the internet for marketing and sales, the way artists and galleries promote their art and the way collectors purchase it has already shifted. What I hope will happen soon is that more sites will curate their content filtering the work that’s being posted, organizing it better so that collectors and artists can be matched more appropriately. As of now, I think there is to much artwork for people to look through and the search engines and filters only help if one knows what to look for. We need more curators to present the work.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge for you over the course of your career?
The biggest challenge for me was in transitioning from being a commercial photographer/video director to being an artist full time because I was used to instant feedback from clients. As an artist I go weeks without any feedback because it takes time to create the work, to photograph it properly and post it online, and then, it takes more time for enough people to see it and for me to evaluate their overall reaction.
It’s true that I can post my work on Instagram for an instant general feedback, but there is a difference between liking something visual that appears in our feed and buying it. I n addition internet feedback is strongly affected by keywords so if your art has popular keywords is seen by more people and you get more likes, if it does not, you automatically get less likes, so in evaluating online feedback one has to understand their audience.
I have learned to not jump to conclusions and allow at least 6 months to a year from the time I publish my work before I come to any conclusions on how the work is being received.
Let’s change gears – is there any advice you’d like to give?
I suggest having a good website but also participate in as many group shows as possible even if it’s just a one evening pop-up show, such as fundraisers. It helps to put your art and name out there as much as possible.
Pricing:
- Original paintings start at $750
- Prints start at $250
Contact Info:
- Website: www.galleani-art.com
- Phone: 213-537-0759
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/anyes_art
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnyesArt
Image Credit:
Anyes Galleani
