We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Casiano Andres Salazar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Casiano Andres, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience is present in my family tree and in my DNA, it carries me forward as I continue my journey on this planet. I remember all the sacrifices my ancestors made, I look up to my siblings and parents who work so hard daily and it pushes me and inspires me to keep going no matter how challenging things get.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I specialize in photographing and filming land, people, and culture, focused on local communities and with the mindset of “telling our own stories.”
I’m excited about a new documentary short film I’m working on that centers on dance in New Mexico and its strong cultural roots. I’m interested in what brings people together to share life together and what connects us with our ancestors, and dance is one of the strongest and most powerful community builder.
A lover of color and light, celebrating these dance forms by juxtaposing them with the land and contemplating the relationship between land and people is where my heart lights up.
I’m continuing to photograph individual dancers,and work with organizations like Muertos y Marigolds in Albuquerque for their annual Dia de Los Muertos event and workshop series.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful skill I’ve developed is to trust myself and to listen to my own artistic voice.
Too often, we are told in school, or by others what is “wrong” with our art, and we are left after a college art critique wondering where we “went wrong.” We need to learn from mentors and artists who can offer constructive feedback that builds up our artistic voice. I’ve learned to find the people I trust the most to help build me up, and to take everything with a grain of salt. What will ultimately always matter is if my artistic voice comes through.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I think it’s important to be well rounded. As artists there are many ways our vision and voice can come through. For instance, I’ve grown up involved in and taking folklorico, flamenco and ballet classes and this has helped me understand my own place in dance as well as the dance community much better. Many dancers prefer to be photographed by another dancer who can communicate form and vision well.
Additionally, I recently took up drawing again, with the intent to just allow myself to “not be very good at it.” I also wrote music and recorded it recently with a team. And as an artist, all of us have to work on our writing in general—grants, letters, stories, poems etc. I am committed to letting go of perfectionism by just trying things and surrounding myself with positive people who can guide me along the way. I’m also committed to guiding others and supporting other artists in my community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://andressalazar505.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/andressalazar505
Image Credits
Image of Andres Salazar taken by Ivan Antonio Arias Pozo.
All additional images by Andres Salazar featuring Ysabala Trujillo, Raven Paven and Allysa Trujillo, Josiah Enriquez, Eric Romero, and Miranda Sanchez.
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