New artist to endemicworld Maegan McDowell answered a few of our questions about her current obsessions and how she would write about travel if she weren’t a photographer.
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What do you do?
I think the best answer to this is ‘generally create’, although I do class myself as a Photographer above all creation I do. My main focus is fashion, beauty and fine art. I am a curious visionary and I research a lot, then most of the time create images from it. I also study Floristry part time and have started creating a leather clothing label on the side.
What did you have for breakfast?
Good Green Stuff smoothie… it’s really in the name.
What’s currently on your walls at home?
I live in a double warehouse converted creative space with my partner and we have a lot of different textures on our walls (like wooden crates, orange garage doors, interior wooden trees and a painted mural). Where there is room for hanging art, it’s mainly illustrations of women from various artists one of my favourites being Kelly Thompson. I do also have some of my own work on there too!
If you weren’t making art/doing what you do what would you be doing?
There are so many things.. I did work in the travel industry for 5 years before committing full time to Photography.. and I could write well if I put the time into it so would probably be a travel writer if I wasn’t a Photographer.
Current obsession?
This year is all about moving my body more so my current obsession is ballroom/latin dancing. I’ve taken up some classes and absolutely love it. Otherwise trying to focus on making feeling good a priority in my everyday routine, work can be stressful and if you’re not careful you can get caught up in the industry and de-motivate yourself so fast. Other obsessions are gaming when I want to zone out or watching historical dramas!
Career highlight so far?
My first solo exhibition last year in October for my ‘Rebirth of Flowers’ fine art photography collection. It went so well in terms of organising it all myself and it running smoothly, a good turnout and great reviews. As I am studying floristry I had my class create a full ‘wild wonderland’ installation of real flowers in the concrete/brick space with my art hanging between vines and scented flowers. It was a sure highlight that I did so pretty stoked.
Dream project or collab or both?
Most of my work is focused on Fashion and Beauty, it’s hard to choose one dream project but I think my dream would be to travel across the globe and create large production set up’s with some of my favourite brands shooting in my style (rich, moody tones with a feminine and pre-raphaelites edge). I really enjoy focusing on female characters and empowering them through fashion and beauty. I’d love to shoot at Versailles with a team of creatives, or the many Russian palaces available for hire!
Plans for the future?
I want to travel more and move to Europe for a bit. I love New Zealand and I have traveled a lot here but I need more history and culture in my life. I have Croatian in my bloodline and it would be good to discover the Mediterranean as I see a lot of that evolving into my future portfolio.
Build your dream concert, 3 acts you wanna see live. Living or dead.
1) Andrea Bocelli singing live
2) Yulia and Riccardo doing their latin dancing
3) Watch something in a true roman amphitheater!