Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Harvey.
Cameron, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am an artist in Chicago. I made a promise to myself as a kid that my life would be about learning. As such, art has proven to be a great tool for me to use to learn about myself and the world around me. It has been a committed grind in some ways, it has been a matter of commitment to myself and to putting one foot in front of the other and not giving up on myself or the possibility that I have something to contribute to society through my work.
After 12 years in Chicago, I continue to try and give myself permission to dig deeper and grow and change. I hope to one day dedicate all my time to my practice. As it is, I still work at restaurant in the evenings. By societal standards I have failed. I am not married, I do not have kids, I am a 40 year old waitress. But, in my view, I have succeeded in keeping my priorities straight in many ways (not that you can not be a mom and an artist, you absolutely can). I have committed to being independent, to putting my practice first and having a job that allows me to create mental space for my work and to make money to support myself outside of my art practice.
I am most proud that my work continues to grow and change and that when I paint I feel the most free. I am proud of my commitment. It is a long haul, let’s face it, most women painters do not get recognized until they are at least 60 years old. I am strong in my life-long commitment to my practice, I am dedicated and I feel focused. I also do not have any idea what the future holds but I aim to keep two feet on the ground no matter what happens. One foot in front of the other.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No artist (check that no person) has a smooth road, we all face challenges, we are all wounded. That is part of being human. In the past society has valued artists as shamen that live on the fringes, allowing themselves to become undone and go deep into emotion and humanness. It seems now some of that myth exists but being a professional artist has also become about education and research. There are fashions in the art world and things come and go.
I am interested in going deep but I am also interested in living a healthy life where I get out of bed in the morning and contribute and pay my rent and feel secure. I am interested in taking care of myself. I am interested in how society places value on women and on women’s work. It has been a challenge, I have been on food stamps. I have felt defeated. I have felt unsure. I often feel alone and unsupported or that I am not contributing to society in a productive way.
All that said, it is often about perspective. I am still here. I have learned to test my boundaries and trust myself. I am extremely fortunate and it is a privilege to live in a safe place where I can make time for my work. My work is really about the push and shove between control and freedom. It is a challenge to be a woman artist in a society that has ideas that a woman artist is flaky or overly sexual, or that we act as the muses to ‘real’ artists. It is hard to forgive and surrender.
The challenges are really about how to dedicate myself to my purpose in a way where I am on fire, all in, excited, and can grapple with the demons of loneliness, death, sexuality, racism, addiction, fear…whatever plagues me, in a courageous way and change my idea of what success looks like so that it is a reflection of me and not of society.
Let’s talk business…Tell us about your art practice.
I am an artist, I mostly make paintings but also some sculpture and drawings. I have recently begun a new series of airbrush paintings on voile that are about transition and internal space, I am attempting to make paintings that are less solid and somehow becoming something else. I want to make paintings that are not exactly paintings and that are spiritual in nature yet also abstract and contemporary.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I recently completed the BOLT Residency at the Chicago Artists Coalition. The residency allowed me to begin a new body of work and expand my community, I am so grateful for the invaluable work they do in supporting artists. I am also thankful for my family for their support and understanding and their acceptance of my less traditional path.
My teachers including Bunny Harvey and Gabriel Halpern deserve credit as well as my friends who hold me accountable; Abby Wiggin-More and Susana Reisman. I am thankful to be alive and have the privilege of making my work.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3200 W Carroll Ave Chicago, IL 60624
- Website: www.cameronharveyart.com
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