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INTERVIEWS,  Interviews,  IntImate Interview,  News

Mobile Photography & Art – ‘Intimate Interview’ with Phyllis Shenny from New Jersey, United States

Our sixty ninth interview in this new series of intimate interviews is with talented mobile photographer and artist Phyllis Shenny from New Jersey, United States. You may know her work from her popular Instagram account @phyllisshenny. Shenny’s interview is the terrain that awakens both the reader and viewer to the effects of sickness, health and above all, hope. It overflows its boundaries both with heartening art and with faith, in words and communication. 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, Bleu Chemiko, Manuela Basaldella, Stefania Piccioni, Luis Rodríguez, Marilisa Andriani (@mitrydate) Mayte Balcells (@artofmayte), Nicole Christophe, Jennifer Graham, Cathrine Halsør, Paul Toussaint, Carol Wiebe, Julie Denning, Kim Clayton (@berleyart), Karen Messick, Serap Utaş, MaryJane Rosenfeld, Paul Suciu, Susan Latty (@pause.and.breathe), John Nieto and myself, go here.

All images ©Phyllis Shenny

First Recognition?

When I was a young girl I liked to draw, and I remember entering some art contest. I have no idea what or where it was. But shortly after I received a set of coloured pencils as a prize. I think I won second place.

intimate
‘Uncertainty’

First Job?

When I was 18, I wanted to travel to Europe. I registered with some temp agencies to earn the money. The jobs were either handing out leaflets on the street on Wall Street wearing some button and Styrofoam hat, and filing signature cards at a bank. I was in college at the time. My first real job was in the bullpen of a big advertising agency, doing paste ups and drawing comps for ads.

Private or State/(Public in US) school?

I grew up in Brooklyn NY and went to public school. At that time (60’s) the NYC Public School system was one of the best in the country. We had about 30 kids per class and no one talked about overcrowding. The teachers had control and taught. We lined up outside in good weather before school and marched into class in a designated order.

mobile photography
‘The Lens of my Eye’

University or Work?

University. I attended Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. Got a BFA in communications design and took all the offbeat liberal arts classes at what was then, The New School for Social Research, now is Eugene Lang. It was my first chance to step out of the box and learn something they didn’t teach in Brooklyn.

Who was or still is your mentor?

I never really had a mentor per se. I had a few terrific teachers. The iColorama Facebook page has helped me develop my skills and inspire me if that counts.

mobile photography
‘Rushing for a Bus’

How physically fit are you?

I’m 66 and relatively in good shape. I’m a breast cancer survivor and mostly eat right, exercise but not quite enough, mostly walking and some weights. I love ballroom and latin dance but it hasn’t been enough a part of my life lately. I’ve used holistic and natural preventative things for years. I think this has helped me stay pretty healthy (except for the cancer blip 7 years ago)

Ambition or talent: what matters more to success?

I’d say ambition. You can be brilliant but if it isn’t getting out there constantly to the right audience you will be brilliant at home. On the other hand we’ve all seen mediocre success out there. To quote Salieri in the play Amadeus “Here I am being distinguished by those who cannot distinguish” Talent alone is only great when you put in the time to develop it and even then it must be promoted to be successful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the crucial element to greatness, but the question is about success.

mobile photography
‘Reflecting’

How politically committed are you?

I have some pretty strong opinions, but they are practically based, not party based. I’ve much more closely followed what’s going on since 9/11. I vote and once went door to door for a specific candidate, but I’m not out there as an activist. As I said before, I’m from Brooklyn. We loudly make our opinions known, but we don’t make enemies doing it. Rather we intellectually argue. It keeps all of our minds open to new ideas. I strongly believe in practicing our constitutional rights of free speech.

What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?

The ability to not worry about the future and a Ninja coffee/espresso machine.

mobile photography
‘Renew’

What is your biggest extravagance?

Online clothing shopping – its just so easy and so much fun when it comes to the door.

In what place are you happiest?

Place isn’t necessarily the thing, although I love a mountain view. I’m happiest with my family and friends, relaxing and laughing.  Creating art while looking at a beautiful view is also high on the list.

mobile photography
‘A New New York’

What ambitions do you still have?

I want to be able to have myself and my husband retire comfortably. Then I want to choose my activities strictly by choice and not necessity. I teach mobile phone photography in the Cancer Support Community and I’m working with them to expand my curriculum nationally. I’d love to be able to help other cancer survivors use this art form for healing and de-stressing. It’s helped me and I feel it’s my way of helping others to cope and heal. I’d like to find more outlets for my artwork. I would like to be a grandmother at some point and live long enough to leave a lasting impression on my grandchildren as my grandmother did for me and as my mother did for my children.

What drives you on?

Love of my family. Interest in life and many new adventures. The first coffee of the day.

mobile photography
‘Downton Abbey’

What is the greatest achievement of your life so far?

Not to be boring or redundant – my family, my children. I have a son and a daughter in their 20’s of who I’m immensely proud and who are actively achieving great things. They are fun, loving and keep life exciting. They and their peers are our hope for the future.

What do you find most irritating in other people?

Acceptance of corruption, and other garbage. The amnesia of forgetting what didn’t work before.

mobile photography
‘A View’

If your twenty-year old self could see you now, what would she think?

She’d say, ok not too bad, I stuck somewhere near the plan, but made some stupid mistakes and could’ve been more aware and insightful along the way. Back then I thought I was.

Which object that you’ve lost do you wish you still had?

My grandmother’s earring. I was wearing it in the car almost two years ago, and I felt something slither down under the seat and it was gone. Shortly after that someone cut me off and my car was totaled so there was no chance of finding it.

mobile photography
‘Sunflowers in the field’

What is the greatest challenge of our time?

Technology growing while character, judgement and ethics are shrinking.

Do you believe in the afterlife?

Yes, I do. I believe we are spiritual being and that doesn’t die. I believe we probably live many times. The one life theory makes no sense to me. What would be the point? How else do you explain child prodigies?

mobile photography
‘Retrospect’

If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far out of 10 what would you score?

7.5, but I’m not done yet.

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‘A SunflowerBlowing in the Wind’

Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: joanne@theappwhisperer.com