This is Rafael
1:16 PM me: ok! ready? rafaelsoldi: yes!1:17 PMme: to start off, just give us a little background information 1:19 PMrafaelsoldi: I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I moved to the US in 2004 and studied Photography and Curatorial Studies at The Maryland Institute College of Art… now I live and work in NYC me: what’s the photo scene in peru like?1:20 PM or any peruvian photographers you admire?1:22 PM rafaelsoldi: The art scene in Peru is very different from here. In all honesty I don’t go back very often and I’m not very involved with it…. rafaelsoldi: I have a number of very talented photographer friends here who are peruvian tho1:23 PM and there is Mario Testino, probably one of the most famous fashion photographers in the world, who is peruvian me: so from Peru to Maryland. why The Maryland Institute College of Art? was it the program?1:24 PM rafaelsoldi: I was living in D.C. at the time because my dad was a diplomat. I was just graduating high school and photography was my only interest…. I looked at MICA, because it was 30 minutes away. And eventually I got in but 1:25 PMI did not know or understand American culture, so I only applied there and only there. And luckily I got in! I didnt know you were supposed to apply to more than one schoolme: haharafaelsoldi: In peru you choose one, and you better get in!1:26 PM but In retrospect, I dont think I couldve gone to a better schoolme: 
tell me a bit about curatorial studies, what kinds of things did you do?1:27 PM rafaelsoldi: The curatorial studies at MICA is a fairly new programs that has been doing phenomenal stuff.I studied with George Ciscle, the founder of the Contemporary Museum1:28 PM The core of the program is a class called “Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS)”in which a small group of students (12) conceive, plan, execute, and follow up on a large scale exhibitionit is an epic undertaking1:29 PM me: sounds amazingrafaelsoldi: in my casewe planned a huge retrospective exhibition for Laure Drogoul, a legendary Baltimore sculptor.1:30 PM it included 3 giant exhibition spaces, two outdoor larger-than-life installations, over 10 public programs, 3 performancesand we worked on it for an entire year.1:31 PM me: thats unbelievable, such an incredible experience to have under your belt1:32 PM was it a success?rafaelsoldi: absolutely. Every EDS project has been huge success… George Ciscle is kind of a genius.1:33 PM me: post college- was moving to nyc always in the picture?rafaelsoldi: yes1:34 PM me: when people ask you what do you shoot, (as they all do!) how do you respond?rafaelsoldi: omg.. haha!i never know what to say!me: i know!rafaelsoldi: I usually say I love peopleand leave it at thatme: me too!!!1:35 PM as someone who takes a lot of self portraits, i find your work extremely personal- from dealing with your own identity, to studying your family. people ask me all the time why i take self portraits, so id like to ask you- why do you photograph what’s so close to you?
self portrait from the series ‘the point at which’
1:36 PM rafaelsoldi: I think I do because in a lot of ways photography is the only thing that has allowed me to explore and understand those issues. Its kind of therapeutic in a way…I used to be very against self portraits… of myselfI really felt uncomfortable in front of the camera1:37 PMbut it wasn’t until I did some that something else entirely opened upme: omg! we are one and the same, hehe, i always tell people its therapeutic!1:38 PM rafaelsoldi: yeah… I dont do them a lot. But there are times where I’m racking my brain to figure out how to photograph something else entirely that will represent what I’m feeling inside…1:39 PM and then I realize that I’m the only one who can do that…Im the best representation of what that feeling isme: love itso is the series ‘the point at which’ completed?rafaelsoldi: I dont think it will ever be1:40 PM me: of courserafaelsoldi: its a diary of my lifeme: do you remember the first photograph you ever took?1:41 PM rafaelsoldi: I don’t remember the first picture I ever took, but I remember the first time I took a photograph and treated it as such1:43 PM I was maybe 12 and I went on a school field trip to some ancient Inca ruins. My mom gave me her camera and a roll of 12 exposures. I was so amazed by the beauty of the ruins (at the time I wanted to be an archeologist like my grandma), that something took over me and I decided that this beautiful landscape had to be immortalized in a picture.I dont think I thought of it that way then, but I knew I needed to photograph it in a serious way. Which is kind of funny.1:44 PM So I waited for all my friends to move so I could get just the perfect shotme: do you still have that image?1:45 PMrafaelsoldi: no.. I wish!me: is there a favorite image of yours on your site?rafaelsoldi: I think the image of my then-boyfriend and I in a bay window (“Embrace”) was a turning point in my photographic life
embrace
1:46 PM me: so beautifulrafaelsoldi: I love the image and it was my first “bold” picture…it gave me a lot of confidencethank you me: lets get technical for a sec- what are you willing to share?1:47 PM rafaelsoldi: as far as my set up?me: camera? lights? processing..rafaelsoldi: sureI’m actually quite primitive1:48 PM I only use natural lightbecause strobes scare meand I shoot with an old Bronica 6451:49 PM me: strobes can be very scary, haharafaelsoldi: I process my film and scan it and print digitallyme: much post processing?1:50 PM rafaelsoldi: not really…. usually just clean up the dust. I will edit something if I think It’ll make it a better picture, more effective. for examplethat “Embrace” Picture – the space in it looks huge, but it was a very tiny room and I had to shoot with a wide angle lens that distorted everything1:51 PM so I played with the perspective so everything would be straight and centeredbut generally I dont mess around with it too muchme: do you shoot any editorial/commericial work, or do you stick strictly to fine art?1:53 PMrafaelsoldi: I dont really do editorial work… it makes me nervous, so I stick to my own stuff. I do love portraiture and I would be happy to do portrait work for a magazine that appreciates a more artistic take on itme: Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph?1:54 PM rafaelsoldi: thats a tough question… hmm1:55 PM I think I’d just love to continue to photograph the world around me. I still love danceme: i know! i was just asked that in an interview and took me forever to answerthen im like, why is this so hard for me??rafaelsoldi: i know!1:56 PM me: other photographers you admire?1:57 PM rafaelsoldi: oh plenty. My all time favorite is Harry Callahan… so simple, so elegant. Very dead on compositions… his love for his wife Eleanor is so evident.I also love Abelardo Morell…I get to work with him quite a bit because I work at his gallery.. and he is a terrific person and hell of an example for photographers out there1:58 PMme: i saw on your blog you love andrea modica, i just got into introduced to her work a few months ago and love it of course2:00 PMrafaelsoldi: yes! She studied with one of my mentors/favorite people ever, Regina Deluise…. and I really love her work. She also was taught by Jed Devine, who is a master of the palladium process and has insipired so many people…. he is incredibly unappreciatedhes such an unsung herome: ooh dont know him, will have to look upon your website bio you write that you are interested in providing professional development opportunities for other young photographers, can you tell me somethings you have done, or other ideas you might have for this2:01 PMrafaelsoldi: oh yes!this is a huge passion of mine.At this age there is only so much I can do for fellow photographers. given that I’m also just learning2:02 PM I recently curated a show at Farmani Gallery titled Select Gender and I was able to give the opportunity to many young artists to show in NY for the first time2:03 PM they go great press and there is an artist Panel coming up on May 15thand I also put together a big Haiti Benefit Print Sale that raised $10,000 and also gave a lot of exposure for emerging photographersme: yes, as you know, im a HUGE fan of the showrafaelsoldi: thanks
2:04 PM me: for being so young, you have already accomplished quite a lot! whats next?2:05 PM rafaelsoldi: thanks! next up is… just keep moving! haha… I just want to continue making my work, meeting wonderful people and then doing graduate school in a couple of years2:07 PM me: still trying to figure it all out
2:08 PM alright, this is awesome!thanks for the time2:11 PM rafaelsoldi: thanks!!
To view more of Rafael’s work, check out his website.
