VENFIELD8
Who IS Venfield 8?
We love alter egos. We love mystery. Most of us assume them in our daily lives. We love movies about superheros who almost always, have dual identities. Can you truly say the person you depict online is who you are 100% of the time? Or is the you at work, the same you that exists at home? Personally, I think alter egos are good. They give us a chance to explore our other sides. The adventurous side. The darker side. The playful side. The sexy side. They give us a chance to play. To be something you might not be in your everyday life. Like Batman.
Such is the case with one of our art superheros, Venfield 8. A widely known and highly regarded photographer in his day life, but also, there is another side. A mysterious identity known only as Venfield 8. A mystery shrouded by a veil surrounded by fog. No one really knows who Venfield 8 is in real life. But in examining his work, not much else is needed. It truly does speak for itself. The mystery has taken a back seat to the work which is ever evolving, ever changing. We speak to him today soon before the unveiling of a major project. One he hopes does well. One very close to his heart. A beautiful book of images you will not see anywhere else. And a short promotional art film to accompany it. Getting to know him as I have on a slightly more personal level, I’m often surprised at the level of humility at his core. The same can be said of one of his more recent muses and collaborators, David LaFlamme. A model who first became popular as the face of the Scruff app. A man whose popularity has grown quite large in a short period of time. I’ve told Venfield 8 about the tenderness and humility that comes forth in pictures of David. I see the same in Venfield8. He is warm, friendly, generous and inviting. When he told me about the collaboration months ago, I was immediately excited. David appears the everyday man, approachable and kind…but in that, he is also exceptional. He is effortlessly boy. A man with tender eyes who feels like someone you’d like to know. Or marry. And to be honest, the combination of talents is breathtaking.
Venfield 8’s work is lush and sophisticated. It brings to mind exotic locales and warm climates. He allows room for you to imagine who his subjects are. Venfield 8 has quickly gained an audience, and rightly so. He became well known for often up-ending branding, presenting it in new and perhaps controversial ways. I’ve told him I’m surprised the corporations haven’t approached him about infringement, knowing how litigious some can be. His humor is evident as you feel the ‘wink’ in his work. As is the respect for his subject matter.
Candy Ass #14, (Make the Yuletide gay), 2014 VENFIELD8
https://www.instagram.com/venfield_8/
