Art isn’t the same as it used to be,” sixteen-year-old
artist Sammy Davis said wistfully as she sits comfort-
ablyon her cozy, paint-stained couch. She looked like she
was both in and out of place in her own apartment -
the vintage curtains of her living room matched
her clothing, however it was the absence of
wrinkles and a youthful disposition that
made her stand out.
When I had walked in the room earlier,
she greeted me cheerily and invited me to
sit. While she walked to her kitchen to brew
some tea, I was able to get a glimpse of her
latest photographs, lying on her work table. They
were a vision of black and white.
“When did you take these?” I asked curiously.
“In the springtime,” she replied. “That was several
months ago. I’ve been avoiding it because I’m don’t feel
very inspired right now–my muse comes very rarely.”
The pictures were reminiscent of 1970’s Parisian
nostalgia - the essence it captured was beautiful, dark
and mysterious. At the time, I was mildly shocked by
her implied indifference towards the beauty of her work.
But as the day progressed, I got to understand why.
“So, let’s talk about yourself. You were a student - now
a photographer. How did that come about?”
“I had just started sixth form back in London, and
I wasn’t thrilled with the way my life was panning out. I
was so engrossed in painting, but I wasn’t a natural
painter. It was painful for me–to not excel at something
you really love doing. Sooner or later, I turned to photo-
graphy and it’s been a creative outlet for me. It allowed
me to achieve things visually that painting couldn’t. I’m
not moving forward with any projects just yet–just wait-
ing for inspiration.”
I asked her about the influences behind her photos.
She informed me about David Lynch, renowned film dir-
ector/creator behind the 1986 neo-noir film Blue Velvet.
“The shadows, the colour palette - I was inspired.”
It was interesting to see Davis giving credit to
Lynch for inspiration, considering the fact that her
photos were arguably more nostalgic. I comme-
nted on its originality, and curiously
inquired her about her decision to not do work.
“Back in the day, around the time my
grandparents were born, people made
art whenever they got inspired. You
always hear them say ‘inspiration’s for
amateurs, artists get to work’ and I could
understand that. I’m still in school, so I
still have time to be flexible and have the
idea find me, not the other way around. But
I also think that it’s important to have a muse
without forcing it–every photo idea of mine,
from conception to realisation I always saw it
as a delicate thread. Trying to rush just felt very
contrived for me. It’s not like I’m cutting edge
with my work or anything, but I think I am bringing
something that our generation hasn’t seen.”
“You are one of the youngest artists to
date–every local museum wants to work with
you. How do you feel about that?”
She smiled. “Very humbled.”
I pressed for more, and she explained,
“it really is an honour to sort of represent the
young artists. I always thought I was going to be
alienated by the art community due to my age -
but I realise that there are many other artists
like me who are struggling to be taken seriously.
To breakthrough gives me hope because it’s
about time a young artist is recognised as a
creator of art, not of some Key Stage 3 crafts
project. Because even though I’m not a painter,
I am an artist.
Davis’ photos are now part of a current
photography exhibition in the Paris Museum
of Modern Art. www.mam.paris.fr/en
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