This is an exciting Artist Spotlight for us, as we have gotten to know Steven over the past year! His work is full of life, observation, unique perspectives and expert composition and we just know that you’re going to love it. He can be found @thisnormallife on instagram but his feed is anything but normal!
We hope you enjoy meeting Steven and learning more about his work!
Hi Steven! We’re so glad to have you! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background:
Hello! I am a fine art/commercial photographer based out of Long Beach, CA. I grew up on the Texas/Louisiana border and spent most of my twenties in Austin, TX working in healthcare. When I turned thirty I left my career and lived in my car for three years photographing the United States. After bouncing around the Pacific Northwest for a few years I moved to Southern California to pursue more commercial/editorial work.
Describe your style as an artist. What medium do you use?
Since moving to Southern California there has certainly been a stylistic transition from drab desolate landscapes to bright blown out pastels and architectural elements. I also find myself using people to draw a narrative in my photos more than I ever really have.
Where do you find inspiration?
I'm definitely drawn to uncommon landscapes and decay of the rural American West. Ive also taken much inspiration from the cultural, architectural, and geographic diversity of Los Angeles since moving here two years ago and I think that it's started to show in the more recent work i've been making.
What’s a typical workday look like for you? Tell us about your process.
I usually always have to heavily caffeinate myself first thing. I try to keep up with posting new work to Instagram once a day but I don't always make it that far. Otherwise I typically spend my day shooting client work, chasing new clients, or if I'm lucky driving around the desert or Los Angeles making fine fine art work.
What does your workspace look like? Do you work from home or in a studio. Describe your space and personal style within it.
I try to keep my workspace super minimal as I can get easily distracted otherwise. I live/work from my studio in Long Beach. My living space is much warmer and ornate than my work space and is a mix of weird vintage and mid century stuff that I collected while picking through the rural south. Once upon a time, in another life, I had a store selling vintage and MCM.
Who are some of your favorite artists? Musicians? People that inspire you?
Some of my favorite current photographers are Ruben Wu, Mária Švarbová, and Dino Kužnik. I also enjoy a lot of the classic street stuff by people like Joel Meyerowitz, Elliott Erwitt, William Eggleston, and Martin Parr. As far as music goes I bounce between folky country road songs, southern gangster rap, and old punk.
Where can we see or purchase your art?
I'm constantly shooting and publishing new work to Instagram, but prints are available via my website.
What are the next steps in your career?
As far as my fine art career is concerned I'm currently working on a couple of series that I hope to eventually turn into books. Otherwise, I plan to continue to shoot commercial/editorial work and sell prints as it's what keeps the bills paid.
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Thanks Steven! We loved chatting with you and getting to know more about your creative process!
If you would like to find Steven, you can visit his website at stevenclouse.com or on Instagram @thisnormallife.