From Left: Rachele, Luke, and Ella Angelo

TF: Moving from Kalamazoo MI, to Knoxville TN is a relatively big transition; what has been the hardest part about building your new life? What’s the easiest?

RA: The hardest part is when I lock my keys in my car, washing machine breaks and floods the basement, flat tires, that kind of stuff. My family has always been just a few minutes a way to bale me out. But it has made us stronger, more independent. I do miss my grandma’s cooking. The easiest thing was making friends, this is seriously a friendly region – The southern charm is for real.

TF: Are there any other local artists in Kalamazoo, or Knoxville,whose work you admire?

RA: Yes, Christopher Darling is an amazing illustrator and graphic novelist from Kalamazoo now living in New York.

TF: When you share your own work, what do you want people to take away from the imagery?

RA: I want it to sparkle, and I would like it to stay with them in some way.

TF: Tell us what to expect from your upcoming show in Maryville, TN?

RA: This is a collection of life’s most mundane moments in living color.

So there you have it, an artist whose genuinely inspired by her family and friends. An artists whose community defines her work. Lets say we removed the questions and answers, lets say we just look at the photos. I get the sense instantly that Rachele defines her work by the riches of her own personal environment, one big lovely canvas if you will. Its not something you see everyday, an artists so enamored by her child, husband, and  life in general, that she snaps shots of it, managing to create the very love, and beauty, she sees before the lens goes in front of her eye. I for one look forward to tonight’s show, fittingly titled “Seasons At Home.” There will be delicious red wine, a DJ(Luke Angelo),and plenty of positivity filling the room. Come see the community, and the “Seasons At Home” Rachele and her family share – life never looked so fun.

Luke Angelo

Tonight Rachele will be presenting “Seasons at Home” as part of the Last Friday Artwalk in Downtown Maryville. You can find the gallery and Rachele’s work at 117 W. Harper Ave, Maryville TN. Fun starts at 5:30.

TF: Other than Photography, what are some things you enjoy doing?

RA: I’m a total hermit, so much of my happiness occurs at home. we live out in the country with a collection of cute farm animals,  I really enjoy taking care of them. They are so funny, and each animal has his/her own personality.  About twice a year I make it into Knoxville to see a show or go dancing. I love to dance!

Ella Angelo

TF: You have a beautiful family around you, and your husband Luke Angelo is an Artist, what’s it been like for you living in such a creative home?

RA: It’s great.  I can bounce ideas off of them and get instant feedback.  Plus knowing that neither of us care about getting rich or driving fancy cars is huge for me.  It allows me to spend ridiculous amounts of time on my artistic obsessions.

TF: How does your daughter Ella fit into the world you have created with your camera?

RA: Ella is my world in all ways.  She has been my main model since she was born.  She is the reason I started carrying my camera everywhere again.  She also shoots a lot of her own pics and sometimes the things she captures just blows my mind.

TF: Let’s say you were stranded on an island, and you could choose one bands discography to have, but only one, which band would you choose?

RA: I bet I could get the most mileage out of the good ol’ Grateful Dead.

TF: If you were running out of the house, what’s the one thing you can’t leave without, other than your camera?

RA: My mud boots and my french press.  No doubt.

To Be Continued…

Jeanne Hagadone

TF: What path do you see your talents taking in the photography world?

RA: I’d like to work with more musicians.  I see a lot of my images as album covers.   I’m also working with a fashion designer out of Philadelphia.  She does amazing things so I’m really excited to see where that takes us

TF: Comparing your first set of photos from 2004, what is different about your work today?

RA: In the early 2000′s a PC computer with a bootleg copy of photoshop turned up in my basement.  It was my first introduction to the world of digital manipulation and I spent a lot of time sort of poking around in the dark and experimenting.  Let’s just say I got a little crazy with the cheese whiz.  Now I feel like my technique has become more subtle and I don’t use an effect unless it directly lends itself to what I am trying to accomplish.  I still experiment but my focus now is on enhancing the content of my images with out as many gimmicks.  I still like my old stuff but much of my earlier work relied heavily on “happy accidents”.  Now I create little plans and work to realize what I see in my minds eye.

TF: If you could lay your head down on one thing, what would that be?

RA: Literally, I would like to lay my head down on some memory foam.  Figuratively, I would like to lay to rest my random jitters.

TF: Is there any particular time of day you prefer shooting?

RA: There is no telling when the muse will strike but If I’m planning an outdoor shoot I try to get setup when the shadows are long and interesting either at sunrise or sunset.

TF: Digital or Film? Why?

RA: You know both have there place.  I tend to think of film as a special treat to be savored where with digital I can let the shutter rock and be more prolific.  I don’t have to hesitate with digital.

TF: Tell us something about this picture.

Ella Angelo

RA: It was a weekday during the school year.  Ella had changed out of her school clothes and into her “farm clothes.”  We were hanging out on a little patch of pavement, playing hang man with sidewalk chalk.  We got a decent amount of rounds in before a storm started rolling in. For about 5 minutes the sky was completely half and half, it was a blue sky with puffy white clouds on one side, and ominous gray clouds on the other. I ran inside to get my camera, and I can remember the good  feeling I was having about the light and sky.

To Be Continued…

Kristina Mynatt

TF: When did you realize you loved photography?

RA: I think I was about six years old when I got bit by the photography bug.  I took my little poodle and put her in my Grandma’s rural mailbox and took a picture.  It was the center mailbox in a cluster of boxes.  Everyone made a big deal and said I was a good photographer. I liked being called a photographer.

TF: Who or what inspires your lens?

RA: I like taking photos of people as they move through the light and the shadows.  I like worn out things and  try to capture moments that escape time.  The ideal image for me is one in which there is no telling when it was taken.

TF: When did people become such a focal point of your work?

RA: When I moved to East Tennessee I started working at the Tomato Head ( a cool organic bistro). I was surrounded by visually interesting people all rocking their own unique style. My ideas started to crystallize  into candid portraits of my friends, and it just kind of went from there.  I like how portraits can preserve emotion, and I try to capture a moment in time that tells a story  the viewer can decipher.

To Be Continued…

This week we’ll be checking in on Rachele Angelo, a photographer on the rise in East TN. We asked her some questions about her work, lifestyle, and some of the things that inspire her. Each day we’ll post a new set of questions along with different photos we selected as our favorites. I have to admit that looking at her work all together, it was tough deciding which photos to choose for this piece. She has the ability to create something special and real with her camera. You feel as if you’re there in the moment, playing along with the cast of characters in the world she captures. I think the reason why her work leaves that impression is because it’s not forced. The images continue on after the picture is taken, and while looking at her photos, I was left thinking, what happens next? I find a photo to be remarkable if my imagination is left to do some exploring of its own. This week we’ll get to do just that.

On Friday, August 27th, Rachele will be presenting “Seasons at Home” as part of the Last Friday Artwalk in Downtown Maryville. You can find the gallery and Rachele’s work at 117 W. Harper Ave, Maryville TN.

Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox) from Animal Collective has his new solo release out tomorrow in the form of a 7″ single limited edition vinyl. The 7″, a precursor to the full length album Tomboy, includes the title track ‘Tomboy’ and the B-side includes ‘Slow Motion.’ You can hear the tracks before you order at the Hype Machine. ‘Tomboy’ here, and ‘Slow Motion’ here.

Preorder ‘Tomboy’ (Limited Edition) 7″ Single

It looks like you can also get Tomboy [+digital booklet] in MP3 Format

Photo by Suzanne Dieter

Twilight Frequencies: Where did you go to school, and what were some lessons you have incorporated in your work today?

Michael Peters: I attended the School of the Arts at the University of Tennessee.  If nothing else, I took with me the ability and confidence to believe in your talent and to take with that the initiative of intentionality.  Whatever your idea is – run with it.  Really try to expand your boundaries.  Just because you’re an visual artist doesn’t mean you’re confined to a gallery.

Twilight Frequencies: I know you have had some gallery shows locally here in Knoxville, tell us a little about your work, if you can narrow it down to a few things? What’s your primary medium?

Michael Peters: By classification, I suppose you might say I’m a media artist.  But if I had to say I specialize in anything, it would probably be photography.  At least that is where my passion primarily lies.  I love the idea of pushing the medium of photography beyond just a single photograph.  That’s what my gallery exhibitions focus on – expanding the typical single photographic plane into something spacially concerned having multiple suspended panels, or photographs, creating dynamic geometric planes.

Twilight Frequencies: What’s the next year look like for Michael Peters the Artist?

Photo by Kari Foster

Michael Peters: It’s always hard to tell…especially being at the relative beginning stages of my career.  As of now, there is nothing solidified but hopefully that will change.  I’ve really turned my focus primarily on Backpod.  But as days pass, I hope to exhibit somewhere in the near future.  I would LOVE to show some photography and film work taken throughout my Backpod travels.  I truly believe that’s the direction I’m heading.

Contact Michael Peters here.

Twilight Frequencies: What types of things can people do to become active in providing a real change to the issues in Central America?

Michael Peters: Such a great question!  I really just encourage everyone to become active in any little way possible.  It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a doctor or in the medical field to do international outreach.  I used my passion for media art along with the help of two other bright-minded individuals in their respective field to create this project.  There are so many organizations out there (I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself until I did this research for Backpod) that are striving for a better quality something for lesser-privileged individuals.  Unfortunately, many of these organizations lack the manpower to get their word out there.  It never hurts to contact them directly and see what you can do to help.  I found that many organizations have “bases” back in the states.  Something as simple as working indirectly with them by spreading the word around your college campus can be crucial in the success of their projects.

Photography by Jimmy Camacho

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Photo by Michael Peters

Twilight Frequencies: How did your expectations line up with the realities of the work being done by Non Profit organizations? What surprised you?

Michael Peters: We did countless hours of research prior to scheduling the inaugural trip.  So we were pretty familiar with the work being done.  There was a lot of communication being facilitated between us at Backpod and Global Brigades.

Personal Note: I did not anticipate the fact of how LITTLE Spanish I actually knew.   My knowledge of the language was an absolute monstrosity, but I managed thanks in large part to the organization and my Backpod Team members.

Twilight Frequencies: Was there anything you found not in line with an organizations goal? For instance did you ever feel there was corruption involved?

Michael Peters: Not at all.

Twilight Frequencies: How were you treated by the natives?

Michael Peters: Everyone was absolutely amazing!  You couldn’t ask for more hospitality.  Sometimes having a camera in your face can be a little intimidating or unnerving; but I seemed to be the only one who had any apprehension about that.  The Honduran people were just so thrilled to receive assistance in this fashion.

The Backpod group looks into the work keeping dental hygiene a important way of life for the natives. Meet the “Dental Brigade.”

To be continued…