Interview with Miguel A. Briones
“For the last 10 years I have been working on a project of fine art aerial photography, ‘Textures of Our Earth’, this has been done from small planes, helicopters and drones. In this material you can explore the Earth with its magnificent and splendid energy and power, the vastness and intriguing shapes and forms of our wonderful Earth.”
Tell us about how you decided to become an artist and why?
I became an artist without even noticing it…at a very early age I always knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. My father Carlos Briones was a prominent Industry man in my country and worldwide, having the largest furniture company in Latin America for more than fifty years, but he didn’t only do furniture, he also did other products for different industries as well.
He was a photography and art lover, but he was an amateur. It was his hobby and he liked to travel a lot, so he would take me with him and his cameras, and I would carry them always - that’s how everything started. He gave me my first camera, a Yashica, and after a few years I received my first Leica, and then later, a Hasselblad 500C, which I still use.
First I got into analog fine art photography and had my own lab where I printed my Black and Whites; with time, I became a photographer with different specialties. I got into Nature and Wildlife, Underwater, Portraits, Travel, and Aerial shots, always with the same touch of Fine Art photography that I started with. For a time, I did Fashion Photography work and was recognized in my country as the number one fashion photographer for fashion shows.
What influences you the most when you are in the process of creating a new artwork?
What influences me the most when I am in the process of creating artwork is nothing more then my love for life and it’s rich and contrasting essence in every aspect, from a human face and what it represents, to a vast landscape where we can meet with our creator and have a deep appreciation for our earth, our home.
Which artists are you most inspired and influenced by?
I could talk to you about different artists, and yes I have been influenced by different ones and the way they see, there are a lot to look at and be inspired by but the most important thing is to find your own way and style.
What was, or is an artwork you especially enjoyed creating and why?
I enjoy every time I pick up the camera and every assignment is different, but being more specific, aerial photography… going at a bird’s eye view and beyond it’s an impressive experience and privilege not everyone has.
How does your art create meaning or deliver your message?
My art creates meaning and delivers a message when I exhibit my work or in any place where a person sees it, and I see their faces and exclamations of being really amazed with what they are looking at.
How do you feel when you hear about global warming and how climate change affects nature?
When I hear about climate change, I wish people could see the vastness of our planet earth, and really be conscious about the way we are affecting it. I am certain that our planet will always go through cycles, I don’t know if we are the ones affecting this climate, but what I am certain is that people need to see the world from above and maybe they will think twice before throwing away trash or watching our consumption habits.
Do you aim to create social impact or engender any change in the art world, and the world in general?
Of course, if I can make a difference and impact the world with this, my work, then that tiny seed will be accomplished.
What is the best way to get the word out and make those changes happen?
The best way to make those changes happen, I really don’t know in a specific way what we need to do, but there are many ways we didn’t have, and now we can take hands in many new venues; In the end, though, it is about culture, art, and education, about being well-informed and planting seeds for good into humans’ minds.
Do you have a dream project? What might that be?
I am always thinking of projects, being dynamic and changing, but right now I would love to make a printed book of the aerial photography I have been working on for the “Textures of Our Earth” project.
