FOUNDERS’ LETTER

RYAN BLACKWELL - CO-FOUNDER - RIGHTNOWSTUDIO

In February, after the first exhibition, Nastassia and I announced that Beyond Photography would be continuing to grow and develop as a brand. The project was initially meant to be a one off experience but after lengthy discussions, we decided we could not let what we built go. The first stage of continuing Beyond Photography was to develop a functioning website that reflected our ambitions in the art world. Since our interests have always laid in fashion and art, we naturally decided that this would be where we aim to make an impact in the market.  Through Image Making, we aim to bring interest and life back into fashion and art which I would now class as bland and safe. Taking risks and pushing the boundaries is detrimental to art and to creating excitement about the visuals in front of us.

The Beyond Photography website will be a home of progressive fashion and work, interesting updates, and everything you need to know about progressive 21st century art. Don’t worry, our exhibitions will continue to grow and develop along with some other exciting ideas that will be coming to fruition later in the year. 

This is our first post on the Beyond Blogging aspect of this new website which we are so excited to finally reveal; we will be using this blog to talk directly to you and discuss our personal interests and business developments. I so look forward to the future of this platform and we are forever grateful for your interest in the future of art making.

Ryan x

NASTASSIA WINGE - CO-FOUNDER - RIGHTNOWSTUDIO

When Ryan and I met in 2013, it was like I boarded on some sort of creative rocket.  We had the same interests, valued the same aesthetics and were both longing for something different, something new, maybe even something weird. I knew in that moment that one day we would go on to build something great.

Beyond Photography is that ‘something’. That thing, which has been brewing within us for years and has now, finally, found its form. It started in the form of a one-night-only exhibition, which was simultaneously a discussion group about what ‘photography’ is/was/should be and a creative hub for unknown talent in Leeds. When the night finished it seemed like too much of a waste to let it go. We had made our own little community, met amazing talent and were, mostly, inspired to reach further. 

We opened the dialogue on what Image Making could be in today’s art world and now, we want to deepen that dialogue, engage more with it and most importantly engage and inspire others to dive into this new exciting curious form of art.  The Beyond Photography website offers a platform to do so. Expect thriving, surprising work, conversations with the artists as well as with captains of industry and a little commentary from time to time from us. 

We hope you’ll become as obsessed as we are. 

Nastassia xx