The local scene is burgeoning with promising artistic talent, and individuals dead set on turning heads. Robbie Graves is one of Virginia’s unnoticed photography trailblazers. His sometimes racy, always alluring style is one that can bring about a wide array of emotions.
Robbie keeps most of his photos local. “I'm at as many shows, parties, and events as I can make, taking photos,” he said. His main “workhorse” is a Nikon D5100, but he says, “Anything that functions as a camera interests me, really.” With a lens of some kind always by his side, he says the next photo is never too far away, “I always have a camera on me, so I'm taking photos more times than not when I'm out. I even take photos at home when I'm by myself. Norfolk and Portsmouth have been pretty good to me as far as finding interesting subject matter. I never have to look too far for a good photo.”
One of Robbie’s more intriguing photos – in the sense of “what the fuck am I looking at” – is one of a girl squatting in the snow beside a lifted Jeep Cherokee and taking a piss. “That one was completely spontaneous," Robbie said. “I just saw it happening and pulled my camera out. Thankfully, when I called her a few days later after I'd gotten the film developed to ask if she'd mind if I used it, she was completely fine with it. I prefer photos like that. Moments like that, to me, are a call to action. Most of my photos are like that, but I'll stage a shot every now and then when I feel necessary. You usually can't plan for someone to throw up or stage dive, though.”
The photos that Robbie takes are not an attempt to express some abstract deeper meaning; they are simply a look at life through his eye – or lens. “I mostly take photos as a way to have something to look back on years from now. Life is so exciting, and I want to document it. Specifically, what I'm trying to convey is my perspective. My photos are exactly how I see wherever I am at the time. I take photos all the time. Even if I'm just having a few drinks with friends and playing video games or watching a movie by myself, I'm always taking photos.”
Inspiration, for Robbie, comes in a number of different mediums, and he says that while he finds it in a number of places, Virginia never falls short as an artistic muse. “I've been on a huge Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher kick recently, but they've been influences of mine for awhile," he explained. "I look at the work of photographers like Dash Snow and Juergen Teller. One of my biggest influences I have been and probably always will be influenced by is 757 favorite and close friend Richard Perkins. I also keep a close eye on what Virginia alums like Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Pusha T are doing as far as music. What has happened and what continues to happen in Virginia play a huge role in both my personal and professional lives. I get inspired from artists of every medium.".
As far as his future is concerned, he has some big goals. “I want to do it all, honestly. Whenever I think I've settled on something that I want to do for sure, something new always pops up that I take interest in. I really want to work in video as a director and director of photography. I also want to work in clothing, publish more work, keep having shows, and do just about everything else that comes my way. I have a few projects coming up that'll fit pretty well with what I want to do. I'll be doing a video soon with a very talented Virginia musician as well as shooting for an awesome hip-hop group's clothing line. Ultimately, I just want to do what I do because I love it. I couldn't imagine doing anything else.”
To view more of his work, check out his website: gravves.com