Our Black History Month campaign, Celebrating Black Creatives, highlights the creatives of today who are able to put forth all of their great work by virtue of the ancestors that paved the way for them to do so.
Today, we shine a light on Stuart Oates, a multi-talented creative from New York who thrives in the fields of graphic design, photography, and videography (and is looking to accomplish even more!)
The Recess Bell's Gina sat down with Stu for a very engaging interview.
Say hello to Stuart!
Gina: Please tell us about your creative process for your latest photography and videography series “The Ones Who Do?"
Stu: I was standing and staring at work one day and because I was just thinking about new shoots to really kick off my new photography page and the New Year. I started thinking about all the creative people I know and have met and gotten closer with recently and thought: “that’s it -- I should document those people and their creativity.”
I got to making a concrete list, and ideas of the people I should shoot kept coming to mind! I started off thinking of 3, then it was 5, then it was 10 at some point! I eventually narrowed it down to 7; one for each day of the week. I contacted them that same weekend, set up times and places (a lot of which were done within the same weekend) and it was full throttle from there. The time from thought to finished post was about 2 months. The process itself took about 2 weeks —7 days of shooting and 7 days of editing. I couldn’t be more glad with the time I got to spend with all of the artists, the things I’ve learned about their forms as well as mine, and all the feedback I’ve gotten for these shoots.
h/t: Stuart's "The Ones Who Do" project.
Gina: As a multi-talented creative, what other forms & field of art do you venture do you partake in?
Stu: Shoot, what haven’t I thought of doing!? I’d love to do more photography of course, but I’m working towards acting in-community, off-Broadway, and even Broadway shows! I want to continue with poetry (MC-ing and performing), singing, acting, stand-up (maybe not, but you get the idea). I’d love to dip my toe into as many creative pools as one can in a lifetime. And photography is something I can also use to document it all!
Gina: How has your identity & personal experience shaped your artistic vision?
Stu: The things that matter most to me and what I consider the core of my being is my sense of ethics, my empathy, and my compassion. Everything I do creatively, I try to do in a way that exhibits passion towards others. Whether it’s about giving people the studio space to express themselves, or using myself or close friends to highlight an important concept or issue, I want my work to be rooted in the love that comes with creativity itself, as well as other people. Humanity is art, art is truth, truth is power.
Gina: Can you share a moment or subject from this series that deeply resonated with you?
Stu: It was a deep conversation I had with Niles, the performer, about all of our artistic endeavors, hopes, and dreams. It was essentially just harping on the importance of unity when it comes to success in a creative field. A lot of people think that it’s every person for themselves, and neither of us think that’s true. There’s work to go around and if one of us can, why not have us all win and have fun creating together?
Gina: Why do you think it’s important to highlight Black creatives and change-makers through your lens?
Stu: If you had the ability to use your gift to continue to give the gift of perspective, understanding,
and joy to others, knowing that these are pillars that make society more enjoyable and intimate for all of us, why wouldn’t you? Especially when you consider the level of disenfranchisement that comes from an entity that refuses to acknowledge our perspectives for its own greed and guilt?
Gina: What does Black History Month and being Black mean to you?
Stu: Black History means nothing but unity, pride, and knowledge, at least when it comes to how I chose to go about my Black days with my Black friends and my Black state of mind, given all that I know.
To be a Jamaican-American puts me in a unique spot where I’m fully aware of my roots in history. I’m fully aware of where the roots are for those that are the backbone of the country I inhabit currently, and I’m fully aware of how these awarenesses overlap. Nuance and context is everything when it comes to progression and revolution. And Black History Month is a great time to get in tune with unity, pride, and knowledge, if you haven’t done so the rest of the year.
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