Colby Deal
Colby Deal is a photographic artist born and raised in Houston, Texas and is currently a senior at The University of Houston pursuing his BFA in Photography. Within his practice he explores many elements such as the culmination of not only the psychological environment but the physical as well. He wants to show the dynamic range of family, community and the individual by combining street photography and portraiture to capture vibrant communities. Colby is directly inspired by his upbringing. As a child he remembers getting to see his family’s photographs that were mostly taken by his father. This appreciation for slowing down and concentrating on photographing what’s right in front of him, “The Now” has led him to be more in touch with using analog photography and giving up that instant gratification that comes with shooting digitally.
Beautiful, Still
"As a member of the Third Ward community and as an African-American artist I believe that it is my mission to help support our cultural representation to the best of my ability. So I embarked on creating a concentrated illustration of the beauty in Third Ward and the neighboring areas as well as the African-American community altogether. Too often the images portrayed of these communities and cultures are unfavorable. In my eyes there is such elegance and resilient beauty in the people. That has continued to show pride and empowerment throughout the Third Ward community and our way of life. The imagery chosen for this project is positive, intimate and thought provoking. It is here where an active appreciation is formed between the imagery and home setting I’ve crafted for the viewer. This appreciation reveals to him or her that no place or person is better than the other and that we are Beautiful, Still."
Follow Colby on Instagram @monsieur_tist