Lara Nicolás
Artist and Cinema Student
Argentina
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF SO WE GET TO KNOW YOU
I’m Lara, an Argentinian 22 years old artist. I’m a cinema student, who loves to express herself in a lot of different ways. I write poetry, play piano, paint, take photos. Maybe I’m not good at all of that, but I feel the urge to show the most hidden parts of my heart through art, only then I can understand myself as a small part of this infinite universe.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY?
I was born in a family full of artists. My abuelo is a painter and an art teacher, so growing up I was always in touch with art. I really owe a lot to him, he was the one who was always encouraging me to try new things, like buying me tools to paint when i was only five years old. He was also the one who bought me my first camera when i was fifteen, a semi professional kodak that was with me through my teenage years. Back then tumblr was still a thing, (I'm not pretty sure if it still is actually). Well, I used to go on scrolling for hours, finding inspiration. About technical skills, i learned them from youtube tutorials, mostly. Studying cinema in college taught me much more later.
WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT YOUR ABUELO MAKES ME WANT TO ASK, DO SEE YOUR ROOTS AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR WORK?
I’m really aware of the difficulties and challenges that come with being a latin artist. Our countries have been economically attacked during centuries, that's why we don't get the same opportunities as first world countries artists, for example. Just to start, camera prices are really high here. For that same reason, I started seeking for the possibilities other formats can offer, like analogic photography or those 2000s digital cameras. At the same time, I believe in the power that radiates in showing our realities, finding beauty in the chaos, remembering who we are and creating sense from our own identity. There's something I always like to remember about these lands and the way we work: the sense of community. I grew up in a small town near the mountains, where creating networks and sharing with each other is fundamental.
WHAT DOES INSPIRE YOU?
Actually I get inspired by a lot of things, almost everything I must say. Since I was a child, I found myself crying out of emotion over the simplest situations in life, like watching the sunset or listening to my friends laugh. For me, the inspiration comes along with the daily events. The not-so-cool side of this is that I'm always thinking a million different ideas, and sometimes it is not that easy to accomplish them all (maybe that's because I’m a gemini sun). Also, there's so much going on social media nowadays, there's so many images and feelings travelling through the internet, that it would be ridiculous to deny the influence they have in everyone's expressions.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?
I’m in love with the idea of constant change. I couldn't define myself from any angle, only my love for creating and being active. Besides that, I like the chameleonic way way of living life. I'm always proving new perspectives, creating my own characters, being connected with my deepest feelings and trying to traduce them into my lifestyle.
IG: @_mantequita