Today we’d like to introduce you to Coelynn McIninch.
Coelynn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was very fortunate to grow up in a house with two parents who were both highly creative. Mom was a crafter and my Father’s Science background and tinkering nature combined bring crafting to a whole new level. It was my father gave me my first cheap camera when I was around five years old and followed it with a Kodak Brownie and a Polaroid Land camera. Even though I work with several different mediums to create my art, photography is my core craft. Whether I am painting, sculpting, sewing or story-telling, I use photographs as reference and inspiration.
I didn’t consider doing photography as a profession until my second College. I had been out of school for a few years and desperately needed to put my brain back to work so I enrolled at Fitchburg State University and registered as a Photo Major. It was the best choice I could have made. The Communications Media program is amazing and Peter Laytin is the best photography Professor and mentor I could have asked for. Since 2002 I have been running a part-time freelance photo business while making my personal art on the side. In 2003 I returned to Fitchburg State but, this time, as the new Photo Lab Manger. I count myself very lucky to have a photo job with a pension fund and good insurance; two things that are nearly impossible for artists to find.
After a few years at FSU, I chose to pursue my personal art projects in a more serious way and enrolled in the MFA in Visual Arts program at Lesley University’s Art Institute of Boston (Now Lesley College of Art and Design). I entered the program with photography, and along the way, I learned to combine all of my art-material interests together to tell a larger story. The whole experience was life-changing and the artists and educators I met through the program continue to motivate me and inspire me today.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My MFA was intense and difficult for me. I was working full time and I signed up before I had an actual studio space. Once I got started, I wrestled with the ambiguity of my ideas. The work I was making (and still make) attempted to highlight emergent patterns in technology, language and human perception. It wasn’t until one month before my thesis was due that I learned I have synesthesia and most of the people around me were not built to innately understand my approach. The revelation was so enlightening that I had to rewrite most of my thesis in the last month.
On a more general note; motivation, time, money, space, exposure and support are all common concerns for artists. I have found the remedy for most of these issues in my life lies in building and keeping in touch with a local community of artists. I lived in Fitchburg for many years and spent so much time focused on success outside of my own city that I never realized how many incredible artists I could have been working with locally. I live closer to Boston now and have gotten back in touch with my local Lesley friends but I regret that I didn’t build stronger ties closer to home while I was out in Central Mass. Ironically, now that I have left, the art scene in Fitchburg is picking up momentum. With new artist live-work space being build next to the Fitchburg Art Museum, I am seriously thinking about heading back out there.
Coe-photo / Coe-art – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have always admired any Artist who is a specialist in one primary medium. To have focus, control and mastery of a medium to such an extent that the expression of an idea can flow forth with ease is something I wish I had the focus for. Unfortunately, that’s not me. I have learned enough about the mechanics and philosophy behind photography, both film and digital that I can teach and make money with my skills but, I am continuously drawn to other mediums. At first, I thought my lack of concentration was a sign of weakness and made me unmarketable as an Artist but, I have learned that being versatile is an asset.
My commercial photography work covers pretty much anything related to photography: weddings, portraits, product shots events, and restoration. I also do training, workshops and consultations. For my personal artwork, I create better when I have two or three projects going at once. I let my ideas dictate the medium I use so my studio space can get pretty crazy. Some ideas can be communicated through photography but others might require lights, sound, welded steel, or installation. If I don’t have skill with a medium, I either learn it or trade skills with another artist that excels at it. Whatever the need, I thrive on problem-solving and playing with materials. Thankfully, all this experimentation means I am rarely without an idea for a new project.
In the past few years, I have done more arts organizing and public art than personal projects. I firmly believe in the power of the Arts to strengthen communities and transform public spaces. When several groups in Fitchburg were looking for creative ways to engage the community, I found some great projects online that we then adapted for the city. With help from local businesses, the Local Cultural Council and Mass Development, we installed Public Art Pianos, a Before I Die chalkboard wall, an Insideout portrait project and the Main Street Video Wall featuring outdoor projections of photography, videos and animation by local and regional Artists. I ran six PechaKucha events in the city that pulled in hundreds of people from 5 different states before I stepped down to pursue my own work. It was very rewarding to watch the public art projects activate the Main Street area and to see such a wide demographic of residents coming together creatively through curiosity and play.
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
Since I have stepped back from organizing, I have had a chance to focus again on my own artwork. My most recent showing is an Artist in Residency media takeover.
For the entire month of July, I am taking over the Twitter and Instagram feeds for BLAA (Boston LGBTQIA Artist Alliance.) The (@BosLGBTQIA_Arts) twitter feed features an image guessing game series called “Whatizit?” The series as 93 close-up images of random objects and I encourage viewers to go beyond just guessing what something is and create inventive, quirky, and unique answers. I have been doing this on Facebook for a while now but I am testing it out on Twitter.
On the BLAA Instagram feed (https://www.instagram.com/bostonlgbtqiaarts/) I am posting selections from a couple different image and video projects I have been creating for years but have rarely shown. One series is a collection of short videos featuring normally mundane actions captured from the world around me that, when highlighted, run the gamut between mesmerizing to just plain odd. The second series is a photo and narrative diptych series where I explore the possible histories of found objects.
I have three photo, video and sound projects that I have been working on and I am anxious to get them out of my studio and into the public eye. I am very much interested in creating more public art projects but, this time around I will be focusing on my own ideas and exploring collaborative projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.coe-art.com
- Email: coe@coelynn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coesnest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coesnest/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Coelynn
- Other: http://www.coe-photo.com
Image Credit:
Charles Sternaimolo Coelynn McIninch
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