Meet Vince (Fly Man) Kelly | Multimedia Designer & Art Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vince (Fly Man) Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vince (Fly Man), we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to combine my passions for photography and world-building through my art to talk about what it means to be queer through direct and honest representation. I’v always been disappointed by the lack of queer representation in the media. I’ve also been discouraged by the ways that queer artists—actors, writers, etc.—are frequently denied the opportunity to share their talent or are often taken less seriously than their straight/cis colleagues. I wanted to create a work that would aesthetically deceive its audience into believing the art is a product of commercialism, while the writing discusses taboo themes that delve deep into what the triumphs and fears of being gay/trans actually entail. Bulletshrimp! started as a zine released in April 2022, continued into late 2022 and early 2023 through 3 experimental installations in the two student art galleries at Loyola Marymount University, and has become an anthology of short stories with the most recent version— Bulletshrimp! Red — released in December 2023.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the creator & director of my own series of short stories called BULLETSHRIMP! It’s a self-published, semi-autobiographical collection of short stories blending highly stylized typography & composite photography. It features queer characters I’ve created. The shorts are a blend of personal experiences mixed with elements of surrealism. The visuals draw connections between storyboarding, comic books, and traditional magazines. BULLETSHRIMP! aims to completely liberate all LGBTQ+ people through short stories that focus on “post coming out” narratives. The characters are all queer and portrayed by queer models. The project doesn’t shy away from serious topics that affect all queer people such as internalized homophobia, widespread homophobia/transphobia, and the position of Christianity in perpetuating this intolerance of gay/trans people. The project deals with radical love and hate and assesses them through a non-judgemental lens.

My work challenges the distinction between identity and perception through costuming. It allows my subjects to be authentic versions of themselves behind the guise of masks in search of catharsis and validation.

I am most proud and excited about the release of Bulletshrimp! Red. It’s a 108-page-8.5x11in.-perfect bound-gloss laminated book was released this past Decemeber with 4 original short stories written by both co-editor Juliet Wang and I.

I got to where I am today because of the photo department at Loyola Marymount University and the ability to freely create the work I wanted to make and the access to the proper lighting equipment. I think the biggest challenges I have faced along the way were because of the honesty that my work pursues. Oftentimes, queer people aren’t given the opportunity or the platform to speak out against systems of oppression in ways that are indicative of all the pent-up rage & anger that have and my work prioritizes showing this raw emotion, whether it may be love or hate. My work paints a holistic picture of what it means to be queer to heal and learn from our experiences and we will not yield to the resistance of religious and/or patriarchal sentiments that go against our work.

With this being said, I want people to know that Bulletshrimp! is a work that views and treats queerness as intersectional and encompasses a wide variety of identities not only related to sexuality & gender identity but also race, religion, culture, etc. As it grows, it will continue to become more inclusive as future queer writers will be sharing their own experiences in an attempt to solve the issue of poor queer representation.

I want queer people to know that the aim of Bulletshrimp! is to teach you that this is your world and everyone else is just living in it. Live authentically and stand up for yourself because we will stand with you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting Los Angeles, there are only 3 places I’d absolutely have to bring them to. We’d have a picnic in Echo Park Lake, we’d take a trip down to Thousand Step Beach in Laguna, and we’d end—or start lol—every single night at Akbar in Silver Lake.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank Diane Meyer, Max Gerber, & Juliet Wang for always encouraging my best work, Diane & Max were photo professors of mine at LMU and helped shape my photographic style and artistic vision. Juliet Wang is a co-editor of Bulletshrimp!, she is one of my biggest inspirations and plays an important role in my artistic practices.

Website: vincentkelly.work

Instagram: @f1y.m4n

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-kelly-1995321b0