Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Belle.
Nicole, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
It took me a while to figure out I wanted to be an artist. I went to college in New York, studied French Literature, and did a year aboard in Paris. As graduation neared, I realized I didn’t have a specific career in mind. I ended up dating a photojournalist (briefly) and asked him to show me how photography worked. I moved back to Minneapolis, where I’d gone to high school, and threw myself into learning photography. I got a job working at a local magazine, checked out Ansel Adams’ guide to photography from the library and taught myself how to take pictures. I enrolled in a community darkroom class and got hooked. I moved back to New York, then ended up getting a second undergraduate degree, this one in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. I entered that program thinking I would be a commercial photographer and I left it knowing I wanted to be an artist–looking towards Southern California for MFA programs. I was in the 2nd class of UC Riverside’s MFA program (2005-2008) with great professors, fellow students, and amazing facilities. I’ve been in LA working as an artist since then.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m interested in the constructed image. I have a studio-based photography practice that currently involves the combination of sewing and performing. I’m drawn to sewing’s connection to domesticity and specifically women’s work, as well as its connection to the performance of public and domestic social roles. I’m making aprons and pockets; sometimes combined. For women in Western culture, from the 17th to late 19th century, pockets were a separate garment worn underneath clothes. These garments were large enough to hold all the important items women would need throughout the day. They counted as one of the few spaces that women could control. In some cases, I’m sewing pockets and photographing them on the wall, exaggerating a sexualized view of their exterior and interior spaces. In other cases, I’m enlarging pockets, and wearing them in front of the camera, performing with them, jumping around trying to illustrate their weight and heft.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The cost of living is a huge challenge for most people, including artists. Not only does an artist need to be able to afford housing, but then if you also have a studio practice, you need a separate space for that too. I’m a working mother. I teach full-time and have two kids. It is a huge balancing act, and I wish our society did more to support working parents.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The easiest and most complete collection of all my work in on my web site: nicolebelle.com
I also regularly post images from my studio on my Instagram account. I’m in between shows right now, but there should be some coming up in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolebelle.com
- Email: nickibelle@gmail.com
- Instagram: @nicole_t_belle
Image Credit:
© Nicole Belle 2018
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