Today we’re joined by Melissa D’Acunto. Melissa is an amazingly talented photographer who is currently attending the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Her work tends to fall under surreal fantasy. I was ridiculously excited as I browsed through her links, being a fan of both surrealism and fantasy. Judging from the fascinating and eye-catching photographs, I’d say Melissa has a very bright future. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
Currently my art is headed in the direction of surreal fantasy images. One big theme I try to keep in the back of my mind is that photography is generally seen as being a true representation of the world but now with photoshop anything at all is possible. I want to make dreams a reality through my work.
What inspires you?
I love fairytales and princesses and of course Disney magic. I’m also inspired by surreal photographers like Lissy Elle Laricchia and Kyle Thompson as well as fashion photographers like Emily Soto. Japanese street fashions such as lolita and mori kei also play a huge part.
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
I took a photography class just for fun in high school and ended up liking it a lot! I’ve always wanted to do a lot of things, originally I thought it I wanted to be an illustrator but I got bored of that.
Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?
I’m not sure if I have a style yet, but maybe one will show once I complete my senior project.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
Keep doing what you love to do! You don’t have to draw / photograph / write about something just because someone else thinks it’s cool, you do you!
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
Asexual panromantic.
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
I haven’t experienced any negativity in my field but I’m still in school and not really out in the real photography scene.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
I always get people saying that I’m “not gay enough” or they call me straight which is pretty annoying. There’s no level of gay a person can be. An ace person even if they are still hetero-romantic can still call themselves part of the LGBTQIA.
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
Find more people like you! I found that it helps when you have people you can share your experiences with! I was lucky enough to find that some of my friends are actually ace too and it’s so much better than being confused and feeling bad about yourself.
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
I post the most on my Facebook, but I also have pages on mot social media sites:
Website
Tumblr
Facebook
DeviantArt
Instagram: 2headedcat
Thank you, Melissa, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.
Asexual Artists 