Mobile Photography & Art – ‘Intimate Interview’ with Bleu Chemiko from Illinois, Chicago, United States
Our fiftieth interview in this new series of intimate interviews is with talented mobile photography and artist, Bleu Chemiko from Illinois, Chicago, United States.. This interview is quiet and purposeful with hardly a spare word within it. The stunning imagery, in addition, will fix in your memory. Enjoy!
To read the other published interviews in this series including artists, Adria Ellis, Rino Rossi, Mehmet Duyulmus, Alexis Rotella, Lou Ann Sanford Donahue, Irene Oleksiuk, Kerry Mitchell, Filiz Ak, Dale Botha, Lisa Mitchell, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Amy Ecenbarger, Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, Joyce Harkin, Armineh Hovanesian, Kate Zari Roberts, Vicki Cooper, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, Becky Menzies, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Sarah Bichachi, Michel Pretterklieber, Alon Goldsmith, Judy Lurie Whalberg, Andrea Bigiarni, Sean Hayes, Oola Cristina, Kathleen Magner-Rios, Linda Toki, Deb Field, Emilo Nadales, Lydia Cassatt, David Hayes, Jean Hutter, Frederic Deschênes, Mark Schnidman, Fatma Korkut, Fleur Schim, Rob Pearson-Wright, Dieter Gaebel, James Ellis, Marco P Prado, Jeronimo Sanz, Manuela Matos Monteiro and myself, go here.
All images ©Bleu Chemiko
What was your earliest childhood ambition?
As I am thinking upon this I realize that there is no clear cut “ambition” per se, but more of a driving need to rebel against everything I was taught under the guise of religion.
First Recognition
All I can recall is being the valedictorian for my grade school graduation.
First Job
I was unable to acquire any employment during my school years all the way into college. This was a stipulation based on my brother’s decision and also on my home life.
So first job was as a medical receptionist.
Private or State school
State School. Could not afford Private even if I wanted to.
University or work
Received my Bachelor’s degree then took the GMAT (?) and decided it wasn’t for me.
Who was or still is your mentor?
Mother was the first and now my boss.
How physically fit are you?
I walk or bike mostly and mainly for my physical activity.
Ambition or Talent. What matters more to success?
For me personally, I equate success with motivation. I have such a difficult time being motivated in the first place and then to take that motivation and create something from it. That is success for me. From there, ideas start to take form, take hold and as long as I’m engaged then creativity flows.
How politically committed are you?
I used to avoid it like the plague. And then dipped my toes in with the Bush/Gore election and the fall out from that was traumatic. I lost all confidence and any small amount of trust in the voting system. But then Obama came along and a small spark ignited and I felt the wave and actually thought change was going to come. In some ways it was a milestone, and at other times it seems all the same. And now I can’t even wrap my brain around the politics of today without going insane. I try to stay informed but otherwise I am removed.
What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
Honestly don’t really have any thing I want ownership of.
What is your biggest extravagance?
Travel: When I turned forty, I promised myself I would travel once each year. And I have been sticking to that promise as best as I can.
In what places are you happiest?
Anyplace where I am surrounded by nature and silence and waves and air…
What ambitions do you still have?
To make my life meaningful somehow. Still figuring this out.
What drives you on?
Life and Death.
What is the greatest achievement of my life so far?
Reaching life at this stage and being where I am at.
What do you find most irritating in other people?
Inconsideration of personal space.
If your twenty year old self could see you now, what would he think?
“You actually made it? I never would have imagined.”
Which object that you have lost do you wish you still had?
My Ikonta Camera which I did not get to use as much as I would have liked.
What is the greatest challenge of our time?
Climate Emergency – our world is dying and it’s unfathomable that we’ve let it come this far.
Do you believe in the afterlife?
I don’t know what to expect if anything once we leave this earth. I guess we will each find out in our own given time.
If you had to rate your life satisfaction so far, out of ten, what would it be?
I am midway. Still navigating the maze of life.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
