Interview
Jady Bates
Jady Bates is a fine art, fashion and musician photographer. She is internationally published and has shown her work globally.
She enjoys life, animals, people, and the world. Jady is also a nationally shown and sold painter.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“It all began when I went temporarily blind at 38 years old in 2014. I had just left a life-long administrative assistant position in academia (I was pursuing bachelor's & master's degrees) and tried to start a business helping people overcome their inertia (I have a tone of enthusiasm - it's quite annoying to some). In pursuing that business, I realized that people need promotion to get their businesses ‘out there’.
So I began taking pictures for my first clients and, bam! A creative shock went off in me that has never stopped. I began photography, totally obsessed. I had never taken any instruction so I began at a local community college - and was again blown away when this led to my first show in New York City at Soho Photo Gallery's Krappy Kamera in 2015.
Here is a video explaining and showing my work. You can also see more of my work, where IN YOUR BAG No. 1371 - a famous Japan Camera Hunter, shows my ‘blind cane’ in my camera bag here.”
What inspires you most?
“The human condition inspires me. The mere weirdness, excitement and all the in-between of our shared humanity inspires me. I am near terminal with kidney failure now, but I've died and come back twice already. The spiritual/coherent experiences I've had after dying inspire everything I do, make and create.”
“I believe people are frantically trying to find meaning and connection, even to feel love in community, in a more general sense, as it is lacking in this world. So my art brings this to the forefront.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I pursue many ongoing political movements. I like bold statements in my photography and painting. I like to shake the viewer for just a moment. In this day and age, that might be all you get from any art viewer. So I go bold and also blend spiritual calling into everything.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would say my work is bold, different, exciting and energetic. Although I also love to show irony as well, so humor is apparent in many of my works (in the form of dry humor/sarcasm).”
Which artists influence you most?
“Van Gogh's way of explaining his painting: ‘bold, colorful and fast’, helped me feel like a real painter. He inspires me greatly. Another name that comes to mind is Robert Capa, the famous photographer. I read many of the ‘greats' biographies, and his view and approach inspires me still. ‘If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough.’ This is always a staple in my head as I go out to shoot street photography.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process is spontaneous. I get flooded with ideas and organize them in my mind. It's like I store these ideas on a Lazy Susan in my mind, and as I idly turn through them, looking for a good idea that fits my mood and colors (in painting), I go for it as soon as I find the right one. I work quickly, and think this is important as well for my final product.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists are all activists in my mind. We are all trying to bring people's attention either to the natural world, or to ingrained societal problems, as well as sometimes just showing something beautiful. It is to lift people or make them think. Both are ways of being an activist, in my opinion.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“2016 - Two solo shows at Soho Photo Gallery
The 2nd Solo show ‘You As Angel’ can be seen here.2017 - Awards in Women Seeing Women in Barcelona, from London's photography Gala Awards (work from 2 different series shown). See more here.
2019 CATO Inst, Washington DC - shown and sold the highest priced piece there - a self-portrait in black and white.
2020 December in Milan - showed painting/photograph of moving picture NFT at MADS Gallery.”
