Meet the Artist: Trey Piepmeier
Trey Piepmeier made New Bedford his home after spending the majority of his life in the South. Trey is a web developer who recently created a web based app called Cassette Nest to help photographers track their film inventory, who also finds the time to take amazing photographs.
Trey will join forces with another Groundwork member, Jeff Golenski, for Groundwork’s next gallery show. When asked about his photography and what inspires him, here’s what he had to say…
What materials do you work with?
Film and pixels.
Tell us about your current body of work. What motivated it?
These photos are about moving to New England. My wife and are from the south and had, before moving to New Bedford, spent our entire lives there (specifically Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina).
I took the name from a blog post I wrote about film photography in a digital world. It’s more literal here than in the blog post.
How do you integrate art into your life and other responsibilities? Do you work full-time as an artist or do you wear other hats?
I make money as a web developer. I try to incorporate photography into that practice as much as possible (see my current project, Cassette Nest), but they’re usually separate endeavors.
How has your art practice evolved over the years?
It was a slow progress going from taking mindless snapshots to creating intentional compositions where every bit of the frame is there for a reason. I was starting to make that progress before rediscovering film, but that kicked it into high gear. More recently, I’ve been trying to get a better understanding of lighting and color. Something I love about photography is that there’s always room to grow and learn while still making cool stuff along the way.
What or who inspires you?
Travel is my biggest inspiration. I get excited for the opportunity to photograph new and unfamiliar things. In a way, this collection of photos is about travel—traveling around a new home with fresh eyes.
I also get inspiration from friends, social media, and books. Visit your local library, kids.
How is community important to you as a practicing artist?
Getting feedback from friends and peers is very important. For me, that’s almost entirely online. I’d love to get more acquainted with other photography enthusiasts in The Southcoast.
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Join us on Saturday, November 16th, from 6-9 pm for the opening reception of a show showcasing work by Jeff Golenski and Trey Piepmeier. The opening reception will also feature a musical guest, Midori Evans, on piano. This event is free and all are welcome. More information here.
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