Artist Post

Wayne Lawrence truly has inspired me since i learned of him and his work. After coming across his portfolio as PDN's emerging artist I have done plenty of research on him as an individual and as an artist. His concerns of this world can definitely be seen through his work as he focuses on individuals and rituals within communities otherwise overlooked by the mainstream media. His work inspires me since one of my concerns is focusing on areas, cultures, and lifestyles that tend to be overlooked in many communities, from lower class communities to minorities and diversity. He states that when he became a photographer he had to learn to engage with his subjects, something i struggled with and challenged myself to do last semester. His work puts a human face on different issues and struggles that different environments face. His images visually capture and also tell compelling stories of the lives of the individuals seen in each image. In one of his interviews he explains how he wants his images to be a testimony of the different individuals he meets throughout his journey where he explores different areas and lifestyles. I hope to gain the confidence he has approaching individuals on the street and he has truly inspired me to focus and continue on the stories that i want to share with the world, my concerns.