Textured Memos' Bloody Valentine's Day Event With Lomography Cameras

Love takes many forms. For interdisciplinary artist collective Textured Memos, love this year took the form of a horror-inspired dark and alluring Valentine's Day event. They invited all their friends to celebrate artists and love with a twist.

One of the event's attractions was an analogue-inspired photo booth led by member and photographer Rhia Hylton. Equipped with the Diana Mini & Flash Half-frame & Square Camera and LomoApparat, Rhia captured the night in flashy and colorful half-frames. Read our conversation below to see how it all turned out.

Hello Rhia, we’re pleased to have you in our Magazine today. Can you introduce yourself and the collective you’re a part of?

Hi! Thanks for having me. My name is Rhia and I’m a Brooklyn-based photographer and visual artist. Textured Memos, created by Noelle Heriveaux, is an interdisciplinary artist collective that’s focused on encouraging kinship within individuals. It aims to inspire artists to be unafraid to mix mediums, by creating an environment that thrives on collaboration, conversation, and community!

How does film photography play a role in Textured Memos’ work?

The members of Textured Memos practice across a wide spectrum of mediums, and collaboration and multidisciplinary creation is encouraged. We have many artists who work within, experiment with, and love film photography!

What was the inspiration behind the Valentine’s Day Event?

In Textured Memos, we truly do love love, and were excited by celebrating it with those around us the same as we do every year. This time, we loved the idea of panning away from the partner-specific aspect of Valentine’s Day and, with the horror-film inspiration, encouraging a more exciting spin on this typically frilly, heart-filled celebration.

We also had a great time creating a space that was inviting for both couples and groups of friends, all while exciting people with the alluring dark femininity that comes with the “Bloody Valentine” theme. The artists were prompted with the idea of torrid love affairs, and we were delighted with how the group ran with this and created such beautiful pieces!

What sparked your interest in the LomoApparat and Diana Mini ?

The Diana Mini immediately grabbed our attention due to its half-frame and square-frame capabilities—it felt very fitting to the analogue photo booth aesthetic that we were aiming for! The experimental nature of the LomoApparat seemed so fun, and so we decided to use it for the overall BTS of the event. Both the cameras are so lightweight, which made them super easy to carry around and use throughout the night.

How did the cameras complement the event’s theme/aesthetic? Any features you’d like to highlight?

The Diana Mini allowed us to capture double the images on one roll, due to offering a half-frame mode—this was perfect for the photobooth, as we were able to snap away without having to reload often. Its bright flash helped to create the candid, snapshot style that we love about analogue photobooths! The LomoApparat comes with lens attachments, such as the kaleidoscope one, and colored filters that allow for tons of play. We thought this went perfectly with the nature of the event!

What were the guests’ reactions to the event and photobooth?

The event went so well, and we were so excited by the turnout! It was amazing to see everyone interacting with all of the different vendors, artists, and attendees; it seemed as though everyone really enjoyed their time. Our goal was to curate a space that people wanted to hang out in for a while, and I definitely believe we achieved that!

The photobooth was super fun. We had heart-shaped balloons and a handmade bloody backdrop. Despite the venue being full, we were able to create a more intimate corner for this, which was really helpful. People always love a photobooth, so we figured it would be a hit!

There must have been many exciting moments — can you tell us a story about any of these photos?

I think one of my favorite photos was a completely accidental one. Things were moving quickly, and I didn't wind the film all the way, which resulted in this triple exposure. I love that the most apparent image is Sam, a friend of the collective, blowing a kiss!

Are there any upcoming events that we can expect from Textured Memos?

We have a large range of artists in our group, so for our next big project, we’re hoping to lean into something more performance-based. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, definitely keep an eye out!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay updated on what we’re up to in the next few months. We love involving members of the community, so it would be awesome if any of the readers were to pop into an event or project of ours sometime. We appreciate you so much for having us!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful event with us. Keep up with Textured Memos through their Instagram.

written by kaylalew on 2023-03-26 #gear #photobooth #valentines-day #diana-mini #lomoapparat