Meet Kate Shearer | Artist & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Shearer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe risk plays a critical role in the creative process and have found it crucial to embrace it in both my art practice and my approach to running a business.

In the spirit of ‘writing drunk and editing sober’, when approaching my fine art work or photography for clients, it’s imperative to create a safe space where my clients and I feel safe to take risks and explore, knowing that all or at least some of the output from our time may never see the light of day. I believe the magic often happens in the unexpected, throw-away moments, so I aim to create a relaxed, flow-like state in each session and shoot what I feel without overthinking it. This method helps me to capture my clients’ most authentic selves, as well as their unique beauty, resulting in a range of vulnerable and exciting images to select from when I go to edit.

Similarly for my business, I’ve found risk to be a crucial consideration. When faced with the opportunity to take a risk or play it safe, I’ve found the biggest learnings and most success comes from trusting my intuition, quieting self-doubt, and embracing those risks. I firmly believe that if it doesn’t make you a little scared, you’re probably not trying hard enough 🙂

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My personal art practice has developed as my way of understanding myself. It allows me to express ideas and feelings that are otherwise impossible for me to articulate. Through my work, I explore themes such as naturalism, consumerism, the female emotional and physical experience, personal autonomy, and other complexities of the human condition specific to this modern, increasingly unnatural world.

One ongoing photographic series I’m working on involves me hiking solo into severe landscapes with my camera and tripod, setting up a shot and using my body as the vehicle of expression. Through this set up, I am both photographer and subject, allowing direct expression from my body to the lens. This process leads to surprising images, as I believe the unfiltered intention of the body, amplified by its interactions with the harsh landscape, translates to the final images.

My goal is for my images to draw people in and prompt a unique feeling. I hope that when someone looks at my work, they experience a new perspective, whether it be my original intention behind the image or something completely new.

I have had work included in shows in Crete (Greece), Torrance, Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, and completed The Mudhouse Artist Residency last Summer. I look forward to continuing to evolve and share my art as a vehicle for self-expression and connection.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
What initially drew me to the desert was the expansive and unique natural landscape. I loved how vast and empty it felt, contrasted with the ubiquitous unique and mesmerizing Joshua Trees. I felt inspired to explore my art practice here, and gradually discovered the thriving arts and cultural scene, while slowly but surely developing a community that felt like home.

When visiting, I recommend starting with the stunning natural beauty of Joshua Tree National Park. Go during the day for hiking, or the night for stargazing, or golden hour for the most magical sunsets. For something more obscure, try hiking up Goat Mountain in Landers, for expansive views of the Mojave Desert, and historical remnants of religious cults and gold-mining homesteaders.

The Integratron is a must visit for an immersive sound bath and the Giant Rock is a natural wonder not to be missed. If timed right you should be able to catch a generator show at the base of the rock as the sun goes down. And if you’re coming in the warmer months, cool off in the cooling rivers of Whitewater Preserve.

For food and drink, try Más o Menos for a morning coffee, La Copine for a divine brunch or lunch, and in the evening check out the Tex-Mex menu at Pioneertown’s Red Dog Saloon, and catch a show while you’re there, or at neighboring Pappy and Harriet’s.

For art lovers, plan your visit to catch the annual Highway 62 Art Tours, where hundreds of artists open up their personal studio spaces. There are also some fantastic art galleries with exhibitions and events year round, including Compound Yucca Valley, Goat Gallery and the Simi Dabah sculpture garden.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Firstly I have to thank the artists, clients and brands that have trusted me to capture their work, processes, personalities and products. I’ve learnt countless lessons from developing relationships with a diverse range of clients, and observing their passion, drive and vulnerability. I’d also like to thank the galleries that have allowed me to exhibit my work and of course the patrons that have purchased my photographs for themselves or a loved one. Each of these exchanges makes me pinch myself and reminds me how lucky I am that I get to do this.

And since you asked for a book recommendation I’d like to shoutout The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. This book came to me at just the right time, when I was at a fork in the road of deciding whether to dedicate my life to commercial success and a corporate career, or take the scarier, unmapped road, and follow my passion for art and photography.

One central theme from the book is that each of us has a Personal Legend and we need to listen to our intuition and sometimes make brave, seemingly illogical decisions, in order to understand our Personal Legend and achieve our true potential in life. When things feel difficult I often think about this concept and remind myself that I’m not taking the easy path, but the one that feels right for me.

Website: https://kateshearerstudio.com

Instagram: @kateshearerstudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-shearer-creative/

Image Credits
Kate Shearer