DAVIDSARAH KAPLAN

Basement: How would you describe yourself as an artist and describe the intention behind your work?

Kaplan: My interests lie largely within identity and the expression of it through behavior and what we consider regular life. Being trans and gender non-conforming has shaped me as a person who is highly inspectional of identity inside of myself and others and I have continued being interested in documenting it as well as altering it. As an artist, I'm always trying to push myself to capture an angle and perspective that I haven't before by looking in new places and getting out of my own comfort zone. My art is healing to myself and is always a reminder of my power and ability.

Basement: What inspires your work?

​Kaplan: People inspire my work and their interpretations of the art itself. My younger self inspires me to create and illustrate the messages I needed to hear when I was younger and what I feel is important to be expressed. Promoting higher consciousness and inspection of identity, I think, is super vital to our emotional health and I hope people think about it a little deeper.

Basement: What is unique about being an artist in this generation?

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Kaplan: With social media providing a second source of expression rather than our physical selves, I find it so difficult to not criticize my own work too harshly alongside my peers.  At times it can become very redundant and there is a level of worry if everything someone does is just a replicated version of someone else or a collection of someone else's' work. The current state of the art on social media is very divided and strange. It provides so many with new perspectives and outlets to experiment and equally creates a space so easily used for harm inflicted on others or oneself. I think it is so important to find your intent with social media and stick to it without hesitation. Letting your art be as you like it should be important above everything. Your own voice is just as vital as your neighbor's. It's important to remember your worth on a regular basis while watching so many other creative folk be incredible and amazing. Remembering we all are unsure and small sometimes helps me push myself to do what I like and feel free and safe within it.

Basement: A lot of your work is set in nature- is this a conscious theme you have established?  What attracts you to the natural world?

Davidsarah: I feel so connected to nature and I always have been. I think pretty much everyone I have ever met or known to exist prefers being outside in any context. We come from nature in the most basic form and we return there, too. Our lives and behavior and culture all mimic it in some way so I find myself drawn to be outdoors and depicting it in dynamic ways. There is so much uniqueness, authenticity, and beauty inside of the natural world and I wish I could properly capture it to give it the proper justice. 

 Basement: What do you look for when you’re on a shoot?

Davidsarah: On shoots, I am hyper-aware of my surroundings based on the intent. If I'm going to edit the background in the end then it isn't super important but most of my work doesn't require that thought process. Regularly I'm finding myself trying to meet my environment somewhere midway like in an understanding I can't always change it so how do I use it to elevate the subject. For portraiture, I look most importantly for an emotional connection with the model. The shoot is always dependant on the model with portraits and their abilities. Some of my best work is of pictures where I and the model have shared some kind of understanding with each other so that we can both deliver our best.