JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

CORAL MCRYHEW: I am a child of two hippies, so art has always been in my blood. I have been drawing since I was little, I write, and I also play guitar so once I started high school there was just something about photography that captured my interest. I love that I can save fleeting memories through my lens. Once I started taking photographs I fell in love with the feeling, and I have been working hard at making it a career ever since. I know that art is something that will always be a part of my life, and it makes me love the world more each day.  

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the mo?

CM: Honestly, some of my favorite photographers date back in history with my all time favorite being Dorothea Lange, but I am a big fan of the flickr world as well. Some of my favorites from there are Alison Scarpulla, Natalie Kucken, and Gustavo Minas, but I really can’t choose a favorite for too long. I try to look at as much art as I can from every medium, take it all in, and make something of my own from all the inspiration that is out there.   

JC: Whats your current project all about?

CM: My most recent photographic project is a cathartic exploration of what thoughts look like. I worked with layering black and white film in the darkroom as well as in photoshop. It was a personal discovery of post-memory thoughts and feelings. I am very interested in the way the mind works and what we can remember subconsciously. As a photographer I love working in film because of the physicality of making art. I am a builder at heart, and I am much more proud when I am working with my hands all the way to the end product. The entire series culminated in a book that will be up for sale later this year on my website.  

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

CM: Right now I am living at an art school dorm in a small city where things are mostly never open. Being here the past year and a half has taught me a lot about people, how to work with strangers, and how to find inspiration in the smallest of things. I have really learned how to shoot intuitively in a place that can, at first, be uninspiring. I love waking up early to see the fog in the sunrise, or hear the rain at night. I have also learned to consistently create art and bring all my happiness and struggles into my creative concepts.   

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

CM: In 2012 I will be studying color photography and I am planning to do a series based on strangers. There is so much you can learn from the stories of others. I will also be graduating, earning my AFA degree, and choosing the next school to continue my art adventure at.  

JC: Favourite tree?

CM: Willow tree, hands down.