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Photographer Texas Isaiah on Archives, Aliases, and André 3000

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Photographer Texas Isaiah on Archives, Aliases, and André 3000

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Photographed by
Texas Isaiah

December 7, 2023

Isaiah Texas, self portait, 2023

The L.A. based photographer Texas Isaiah is concerned with capturing the contemplative moments that make up daily life, particularly for those who navigate complex and evolving identities. “I think that Black people, people of color, Brown folks, we need a variety of images of ourselves to reflect on,” he told us earlier this month, before the opening of his solo exhibition It’s the Starkness of the Day, presented by Residency Art Gallery and on view at Art Basel Miami this weekend. The show features a series of intimate portraits that grapple with the quiet moments one takes as they navigate grief. Having recently lost his grandmother and aunt within two weeks of each other, Isaiah (his legal middle name) provides a window into a world where solitude, transition and reflection are prioritized. “I don’t want the editorial, the commercial, or the fashioned images to take over the archive or to be pedestaled as more important, which they often are, because I think that we enjoy fantasy and other worlds,” he explained, remarking on the sudden influx of attention many Black artists received after the 2020 protests against the murder of George Floyd. “What about the images of us in our homes being contemplative, moving through different transitions?” As the multi-hyphenate artist prepared for his Basel show, he spoke to us about growing up in Brooklyn, shooting in black and white, and his dream of one day photographing André 3000.

———

CHLOE SHAAR: Where are you right now?

TEXAS ISAIAH: I’m in Detroit at the moment.

SHAAR: Are you there for the holiday or are you just hanging?

ISAIAH: I’m just spending time with a really good friend who’s coming in from Berlin, and also my partner.

SHAAR: I love that. You’re from Brooklyn originally?

ISAIAH: Yeah. East New York, Brooklyn.

SHAAR: Do you visit often?

ISAIAH: Yeah, I go back home intentionally to visit my parents and to be in proximity to my community, and to emotionally support the development of other artists who are either from the city or who have moved there. It’s very important for me to visit as often as I can outside of work.

SHAAR: Do you enjoy L.A. as a home base though?

ISAIAH: Yeah. I think that it’s more of an internal experience there. I have a core group of friends and my home. That’s just pretty much where L.A. meets my needs.

SHAAR: Right. Which is all that you really need, I feel. Your inner circle or just the people that are keeping you together.

ISAIAH: People always ask me–which I know that you’re not asking me–this question of L.A. or New York? It’s like, you can’t compare the locations. 

SHAAR: I’m also a bi-coastal person, so I get it.

ISAIAH: I think that it also conflates so much of the histories of each place, too. Which part of California are you from?

SHAAR: I am from L.A.. Tell me a little bit about growing up in New York. Have you always been interested in art and curating? Or was it something that happened as you got older?

ISAIAH: I recall some interest in the arts. But the area where I’m from didn’t have a lot of resources to maintain those programs, or didn’t have those programs at all. Art wasn’t really a staple in my household but it became more of an interest as I witnessed other people within their art practices and became curious about what that could look like for me.

SHAAR: When did you start using two first names? Or have you always used two first names?

ISAIAH: I went through a lot of different aliases. Isaiah is legally my middle name, but I prefer it just to be used as a whole. I would say the reshaping of my name had a lot to do with protection and people not feeling too familiar with me so fast. I just love the flow of Texas Isaiah.

SHAAR: I find it so intriguing because I feel like a name is supposed to be one of the most personal forms of identity.

Prologue/My-Grandson’s Prayer, 2023

ISAIAH: It’s a personal testament.

SHAAR: They don’t need to know anything about you unless you want them to.

ISAIAH: Exactly. 

SHAAR: What initially piqued your interest in photography? Would you say it was experiences in life that you wanted to capture? 

ISAIAH: I had witnessed somebody using photography as their format of expression and I became very curious about it. It was also during a time that I feel like a lot of us experience, where people are attempting to tell you where you need to go in your life. I don’t think that I had the capacity to build a formal relationship with photography around that time, but I still practiced it. Then I started to develop a more intimate relationship when I got into music. I used to take photos of bands, specifically hardcore and punk bands. The practice started in nightlife. A lot of live shows, nightlife events in New York City. I wasn’t technically allowed to be in those spaces because I was underage.

SHAAR: That’s the life of a New York kid.

ISAIAH: Yeah, definitely. 2013 was the year that I communicated to others that it was the beginning of a career, and the development of a more serious, intimate relationship with photography.  It’s been a very unconventional journey into photography and not anything that was steered by academia, which I’m really grateful for, because I think that I learned a lot from my peers and my friends who are immersed in the art world. 

SHAAR: I think that that’s one of the things that puts certain people apart from others, ones that are self-taught and base their craft off of their actual experiences and identities. Capturing a potion and the rawness of life, that’s not something that you learn in a textbook. And as your identity grows, that changes your craft as well.

ISAIAH: I mean, sometimes. If you allow it to.

Pray You Hear My Touch 2, 2023

SHAAR: Has your identity as a Black trans person changed your perspective on your art at all? Does your identity bleed into your art or do you try to separate the two?

ISAIAH: No, I don’t think that there’s any separation. I think that it always informs the work. Even the ways in which I attempt to have fun in my work is informed by so many of my experiences. This doesn’t only have to do with gender. I think that when you are you, when you’re embodied, when you have accepted your embodiment, you don’t necessarily have any other choice but to see the world as is. A lot of people fight against that because there is a lot in the world that is devastating and disappointing. But that’s not all that exists. I think that there is a lot of hope, faith, and joy that I practice as well. I’m interested in the development of an archive, as well as collaborating with other people who are interested in developing archives of intentionally marginalized folks, who were either taken advantage of within the photographic format or have never really been present. 

SHAAR: I love your use of the word archive because when I was looking through your work, it really felt like an archive of Black and Brown voices, people that aren’t always seen in media. Since 2020, there’s been this push for a certain kind of perspective in the fashion and art worlds. But your photographs depict the actual experience. 

ISAIAH: As somebody who created and attempted to live off of personal work for a while before 2020, when that year approached, all of these editorial and commercial jobs started flooding in. I’m really grateful for that.

SHAAR: I’m sure the inbox was filled.

ISAIAH: Yeah, for a lot of artists, Black artists in particular. I was never an artist who called or emailed editors. But I know a lot of other visual narrators who did. It was a little bit confusing and daunting to be emailing somebody for a year and then have them respond to you because of the things that were going on in the world, things that have been going on for a very long time. It felt extractive for a lot of photographers. I’m grateful that I was able to continue to lean into my personal practice. I don’t want the editorial, the commercial, or the fashioned images to take over the archive or to be pedestaled as more important, which they often are, because I think that we enjoy fantasy and other worlds. For me, I’m always thinking, what about this world? What about the images of us in our homes being contemplative, moving through different transitions? And they don’t always have to be immersed in grief, but they’re immersed in all of these different emotions. I think people jump to conclusions and they’re like, “Oh, you don’t like fashion?” And I’m like, “No, I love fashion, I love style.” There’s nothing wrong with that. But I think that Black people, people of color, Brown folks, we need a variety of images of ourselves to reflect on.

SHAAR: Well, there weren’t any being taken for so long.

ISAIAH: I love Renata [Cherlise] who does Black Archives. What I really love about her Instagram and her archive practice is that it reminds me that we do have a lot of images, but they’re lost. There are an abundance of images, but they’re not prioritized, or they’re lost and then they have to be found. 

SHAAR: Certainly. Your profile picture right now is inspiring me a little bit.

ISAIAH: I apologize for not being on video. My partner and I got a new puppy. Her name is Aurora, she’s a Fitzu-Maltese mix. She’s sleeping on my foot right now, I think she likes hearing us talk. But if I’m on video, she’ll just be like, “Hey, can you give me some attention?”

SHAAR: Don’t even worry about it. Your profile picture inspired me because I feel like not everyone is interested in shooting in black and white. I noticed that for so many of your images, you have just as many black and white as you do in color. Is there a particular reason that you’re drawn to black and white?

ISAIAH: I took a lot of black and white images before I made my way to California.

SHAAR: What year was that?

ISAIAH: That was 2016. That was the year that Pulse [Orlando nightclub shooting] happened. And that was the year that Ghost Fire happened in Oakland. My friend Andre D. Wagner gave me a Yashica camera. I would develop my own film, scan my own film. I was very tethered to the process. I was also visiting Studio Museum a lot because I was so intrigued by that space, which was introduced to me by Kimberly Drew when she worked there. I would photograph the artists in residence, Eric Mack, Sadie Barnett, Lauren Halsey, Jordan Castile, EJ Hill within the next year. When I moved to L.A., I didn’t have access to that practice. I mean, this is public knowledge, but I was houseless for about eight months. So, I was between Oakland and L.A. trying to find my foot in. I was also very intrigued by just how colorful L.A. was. Walking around the neighborhoods, I’m like, “Wow, there’s so much plant life here.” I love plants.

SHAAR: That’s what I miss.

ISAIAH: When I was in Brooklyn, I wasn’t a good plant dad. I didn’t know how to interact with that section of nature yet. I was just so intrigued by the color. So, that’s when the transition happened. I still love black and white, and I’m thinking about going back to the foundation next year as I’m prepping for projects.

SHAAR: Is there a dream subject that you would love to shoot?

ISAIAH: People have been asking me this a lot lately. I would say Regina King, André 3000, and Wu-Tang.

SHAAR: Wait, did you listen to any of the new flute album? [New Blue Sun]

ISAIAH: I haven’t intentionally sat down and listened, but it’s been in the background of the house lately.

SHAAR: I listened a little bit when I was cooking the other night, and it was so good, obviously. It’s definitely a wind down type of album.

ISAIAH: Yeah. I’ve always wanted to photograph André 3000 and then not have the pictures be public. Just the experience of it. I love his relationship to privacy. 

Private Delight, 2023

SHAAR: I love that. Do you think photography is the only medium that you see yourself diving into? 

ISAIAH: No. I did a photographic and video series for Google Creators Lab, which is an incubator program that supports artists to make whatever they want to make, but it has to be made on the Pixel. I did a project with my partner, who is a Detroit-based artist. Our name is KESSWA, and we just collaborated and made this beautiful project called, I May Not See Myself As Others See Ne Not. It pays homage to Samuel Foso, who’s a photographer and uses autofiction, which is autobiography and fiction to recount one’s life. That involved video and that was a lot of fun. I also incorporate altars in some of the still work that I’ve done, and people call those sculptures. I wouldn’t use that term for those altars, they’re just simply altars. But I’m also thinking about how to create more things with my hands. I think that I’m moving in the direction where I want to build things and have that be in conversation with moving images and stills.

SHAAR: I love that. What’s an average day like for you? Are you a morning person?

ISAIAH: Yeah, I am. It depends on how jet-lagged I am and which city I’m in. Detroit is pretty cold right now, so that’s also the privilege of living in L.A. So I’ve been finding myself being a little bit more sleepy.  I love to wake up with the sun if I’m able to, and I love quiet moments. [Isaiah’s dog wakes up] What’s up? She’s making noises.

A Recollection – My Grandson’s Stretch, 2023

Midcentury Modern photography giclée Eero Saarinen Womb Chair art print

By in Photography

Midcentury Modern photography giclée Eero Saarinen Womb Chair art print
image

The Midcentury Objectified series is a body of work that is photographed with a
scientific approach to the cataloguing of historical Midcentury objects.

Experience Midcentury Modern luxury with this vibrant giclée showcasing the iconic Eero Saarinen Womb Chair. This print meticulously captures the timeless design and comfort of midcentury design. Perfect for enthusiasts of classic furniture and the Midcentury Modern vibe.

DETAILS:

  • Printed with pigment inks on 100% cotton archival, fine art paper.

  • Frames are roughly 1” wide on each side.

  • Unframed artwork ships flat or in a sturdy mailing tube within 5-7 business days. Framed work ships in a box within 10-15 business days.

  • Shipping cost is based on each item. For multiple items in one order, please contact for custom shipping price.

Here’s Why AI Headshots Are Great for Photographers

By in Photography

Here’s Why AI Headshots Are Great for Photographers

Since the introduction of AI-generated headshots, many have been lamenting the inevitable end of our industry, forecasting doom and gloom across every online forum almost on a daily basis. But one photographer isn’t afraid, and in fact, he believes that AI technology is actually good for headshot photographers and ultimately will strengthen our industry.

Recently, I sat down with Scottsdale, AZ, based headshot photographer Tony Taafe to discuss his view of AI and its impact on the photography industry. To my surprise, Taafe has taken a decidedly different view of how the technology will change the headshot landscape, as he believes there are still many challenges before AI headshots can be a truly viable alternative to the genuine article, if they ever can be at all. Looking at the long-term impact, he believes that AI headshots will ultimately bolster our industry, becoming a net positive for headshot photographers after the initial excitement over the technology has waned. Here’s why.

A Security Risk

According to Taafe, “It’s a security risk. Companies, or individuals, don’t own any of the information once it’s uploaded to AI generators.”

He adds that with both of his businesses, Tony Taafe Studio and Headshot Booker, his largest clients have never once agreed to a contract that doesn’t include some control over the images taken of their employees. “Corporations who have even the slightest idea of brand protection will never agree to you photographing their employees and saying ‘We’re good with whatever you want to do with these images.’”

We’re the key to authentic marketing in a world where everything will look and feel the same.

Companies we work with often request that they have exclusive usage rights to their images. I’ve heard photographers comment that companies do this because they want to take advantage of the photographer. They don’t. They have to protect their information and brand from outside usage.

No One Relates To Perfect

In addition to being a security risk, AI-generated headshots give a false sense of perfection. “’Show me perfect, and I will show you a liar’ is a well-known marketing phrase, and if it isn’t, it should be,” Taafe says.

Large companies spend millions of dollars on marketing in order to present their brand and unique as authentic. Tony says that “the most impactful way to do this is through their people – most products can be replicated, people can’t. AI headshots completely obliterate this. It’s a more sophisticated version of the iPhone emoji; people know it’s fake.”

It’s a “marketing disaster” in his view, because no one relates to perfection, which AI-generated headshots attempt to create. Companies understand that clients relate to the humanness of their team members, and that even if it’s on a subconscious level, genuine photos of their employees are one of their greatest branding assets. Showcasing employees as perfect automatons does not build trust with potential clients, because it creates a first impression with them that the company is fake, or worse, obscuring the truth about their people, hence, dishonest.

Taafe believes that AI headshots are fine for those looking to garner likes and comments on social media, but not for the serious professional. This is because they not only fix every imperfection, but also change the shape of the face, create unrealistic lighting, and even place the subject in a fabricated environment. People who want this kind of photo are our “nightmare clients,” he adds.

Perhaps the strongest argument Taafe makes against AI headshots is that they present “a copyright minefield.” Regarding working with both large and small companies, He says: “Companies we work with often request that they have exclusive usage rights to their images. I’ve heard photographers comment that companies do this because they want to take advantage of the photographer. They don’t. They have to protect their information and brand from outside usage.”

Taafe cited a ruling by the US Copyright Office which calls AI generated art a “completely mechanical” process with “no place for novelty, invention, or originality,” and therefore not worthy of copyright protection. He continues, “This is great news for companies who want to use the images without having to secure exclusivity, but a complete no-go for companies who need to make sure their images aren’t used by anybody who wants to use them in any way they like.”

Those of us who have worked in the headshot industry know that it’s also common for companies to require photographers to sign NDAs when contracted to capture their team. These agreements often ban the photographer from not only sharing the photos online, but from even sharing social posts that include BTS images of their office space, firm name, or any other information about the company and their location. These companies don’t just value their privacy; they understand the legal implications of having their spaces and people broadcast across the internet without their consent or branding control. If they choose to use AI headshots for their team of hundreds or thousands of employees, they cede legal recourse and invite others to use images of their team members in whatever way they like, without the ability to protect themselves.

A Bright Road Ahead

Taafe told me that he is not against AI headshots. He believes they are fun and here to stay, and that they have “earned their own place on our journey.”

He continues, “AI headshots are a very decent social media product; what we provide is an exceptional marketing product.” 

Finally, after reading and speaking with many photographers over the last year who forecast complete doom for our industry, it was refreshing to get a different perspective from Taafe. As our conversation wound down, he concluded with some encouraging words: “I genuinely believe that headshot photography, even with a potential short term rollercoaster of companies who dip their toes in the AI water, will come out of this stronger and even more valuable than it is today.”

“We’re the key to authentic marketing in a world where everything will look and feel the same.”

The Ikiperu Ceramics Collection Pays Homage to Umbrian Artistic Tradition

By in Design

The Ikiperu Ceramics Collection Pays Homage to Umbrian Artistic Tradition

The hand-turned, hand-painted Ikiperu collection fuses Etruscan vase-making with contemporary design in homage to the artistic tradition of Umbria. The first work by Norwegian designer Kristine Five Melvær for Poltrona Frau, the ceramics collection unites history, traditional craftsmanship, and modern aesthetics that reference Picenian culture through color and shape. The pieces – a vase, cup, and pyx – are produced by renown Umbria-based manufacturer Rometti Ceramiche, the epitome of local art tradition and Etruscan vase-making.

“Ikiperu” was the name of the goddess Cupra, who was worshiped by the ancient Piceni and Etruscans. The name means “she who protects the land,” and recalls rituals of protection and prosperity of agricultural and manual activities. Poltrona Frau honors the artistic and cultural heritage of the area in the name as well as in the choice of the main material – ceramic – which is locally-sourced, and in the rounded shapes of the objects. These archetypal forms and color choices are imbued with the design language, the ceramics itself synonymous with timelessness and versatility.

blue and light brown ceramic vase, bowl, and cup on a wood surface

Three pieces make up the Ikiperu collection: the Ikiperu Vase, Ikiperu Cup, and Ikiperu Pyx. The vase features a rounded shape with five horizontal bands that are both glazed and unglazed for a tactile finish. The cup works to hold small objects or simply as a decorative element. The design again incorporates horizontal bands, in this case the upper rim uses unglazed ceramic, while the central band and base are glazed. Pyx is a small, round box with a lid and leather cord for easy opening – and a nice nod to Poltrona Frau’s style. The shades used throughout the Ikiperu collection are inspired by the color palette of Pelle Frau® leather: cool Blue Sky and warm Earth Brown tones.

deep orange and light brown ceramic bowl on a wood surface

detail of blue and light brown ceramic vase

deep orange and light brown ceramic vase, bowl, and cup on a wood surface

deep orange and light brown ceramic vase, bowl, and cup on a wood surface

deep orange and light brown ceramic vase, bowl, and cup on a white background

blue and light brown ceramic vase, bowl, and cup on a white background

blue and light brown ceramic cup on a white background

Cup

blue and light brown ceramic cup on a white background

Cup

dark and light brown ceramic bowl on a white background

Pyx

blue and light brown ceramic bowl on a white background

Pyx

dark orange and light brown vase on a white background

Vase

blue and light brown ceramic vase on a white background

Vase

detail of dark orange and light brown vase on a white background

Vase

To learn more about the Ikiperu Collection, visit poltronafrau.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

XGIMI Mira Adds a LAYER of Subtle Materiality Thanks to Benjamin Hubert

By in Design

XGIMI Mira Adds a LAYER of Subtle Materiality Thanks to Benjamin Hubert

Designed by Benjamin Hubert’s studio LAYER, the XGIMI Mira short throw projector reflects a brand evolving from a tech-focused venture to one with a growing understanding about the importance of form not solely serving function. A handsome follow up to the HORIZON Ultra  – a more traditional projector requiring a fair distance from unit to screen – the fabric wrapped Mira houses within it not only the means to conjure a 100-inch picture upon a wall or screen from mere inches away, but also integrates a Harmon Kardon 2.1 audio system and smart TV capabilities for a simplified, yet comprehensive home theater experience.

Compared to XGIMI’s current ultra short throw model, the Mira also shares some spiritual similarities with Hubert’s work for Bang & Olufsen. Where the B&O Balance was dressed in wool textile emphasizing the speaker’s drum-spun verticality, the Mira’s fabric-draped form is intended to neutralize the “black box” presence of technology housed within it, softening the silhouette into a shape closer hewn to a piece of home decor.

Overhead angled view of two XGIMI ultra short throw projectors corners, showing the fabric cover design done in neutral tones.

“At LAYER, we have developed a new approach to home technology, using tactile materials, a soft palette, and gentle forms that make it more welcoming and less obtrusive in the interior,” says LAYER Design Founder, Benjamin Hubert.

Angled view of two XGIMI ultra short throw projectors corners, showing the fabric cover design done in neutral tones.

Close up detail of XGIMI Mira UST projector's side perforated speakers.

The two 8W Harman Kardon speakers are supported by a 15W subwoofer, and support both Dolby Audio and DTS:HD output.

Announced in China, the laser projection TV is listed as capable of creating a 100-inch picture from about 9.4-inches distance, with a maximum brightness of a fairly modest 900 lumens. XGIMI is also including an art frame/projection screen coated to improve the reflection of projected light for a brighter picture with improved contrast. Taking cues from Samsung’s The Frame, the screen is also designed to operate as a museum gallery sized artwork display furthering its utility as a decorative display as much as a home theater solution.

Front view of the soft earth tone fabric covered XGIMI Mira ultra short throw projector. Unit has soft curves and brushed metal edge detailing, and it is projecting an image of enormous snowcapped mountains positioned on the floor and in a darkened room.

Launched at the 2023 edition of the IFA Berlin trade fair in Germany in September, XGIMI has yet to release pricing for the United States market. But if the exchange rate informs a ballpark figure, the 6,999 Chinese Yuan priced projector should come in at or near $1,000.

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Quad-Lens GIF Cameras

By in Photography

Quad-Lens GIF Cameras

The conceptual Moment 3D Camera has been designed by Olga Orel as a modern piece of photography equipment that takes digital culture into account to support modern consumer preferences.

The camera is characterized by its compact construction that uses four 38mm lenses to capture scenes from four different angles. This enables the camera to create GIFs right on the device that are ready for sharing on social media and more. The camera is equipped with a large display on the rear that’s flanked by buttons for navigating the interface and making changes. The hardware identifies how photography equipment can be engineered to suit the preferences of digital natives.

Orel spoke further on the inspiration behind the conceptual Moment 3D Camera saying, “I discovered old cameras such as Nishika N8000 and Nimslo from the 1980s made by various companies with the same idea of stereography. They were quadrascopic (four lenses) cameras designed to produce four half-frame images from a click of the shutters. Lenticular prints could be made from the negatives. Unfortunately, the demand for these products was low due to people losing interest while waiting for the prints, which could take weeks and by some accounts, months to return to the consumer. You have to understand, these cameras were introduced BEFORE we knew anything about GIFs or JPEG files!”

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