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Interview by Valerie Fair 

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Artists On The Cutting Edge: Good Morning Jeff how are you?

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Jeff Cancelosi:  I am great, thanks for asking.

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AOTCE: Would you please tell our readers what you do?

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Jeff C: I am an artist and curator.

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AOTCE:  Well, two great careers that puts you close to art all the time.  But first let’s talk about being a fine artist.  As an artist what is your specialty?

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JC:  Most people in the Detroit area think of my photography.  I take photographs as part of my art practice and I consider my photography fine art.  My motivations for making them comes from within me.  I don’t make money commercially from the photographs except from an occasional gallery show.  I also create portraits from other media (like tapes and ink stamps, but sometimes more traditional media).

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AOTCE: So, you are self-motivated? Is there a particular look that you envision for your photographic work?

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JC:  An interesting question.  I follow my instincts and what interest me.  I think an artist develops a look or style after years of practice.   After college, I prioritized making sure I was financially stable, and that really limited the opportunity for creating art just for myself.  When my primary employment later shifted to being my daughter’s stay-at-home parent, I was suddenly able to do whatever I wanted with my art.  My early pieces came directly out of watching my daughter play.  I ended up using some of her less-favored ink stamps (Cinderella, for example) to create new images.

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AOTCE:  What brought you into the arts area and was it something you always wanted to do or did you come by it after working in another profession?

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JC:  I’ve been making art all my life.  When it came to a career, I became an art director/designer hoping to make a consistent paycheck.  After our daughter was born, I quit my job to take care of her and explore art making.  Once I became a full-time parent, I left the commercial design world.  My wife became the family’s financial support.  Not something either of us anticipated before we had a child, but it opened the door to my returning to art purely as a means of self-expression (rather than for clients, which is what graphic designers do).

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