At its very core, working hard and having dreams is what 'To Live and Try in LA' is all about.
I started 'To Live and Try in LA' in 2017 at a point in my life where I wanted to express myself as a storyteller. My goal was to create an exhibition - my debut show - that would go beyond the photographs. A space where you could see the people and hear the stories through performances and panels - something that would eventually bring like-minded people together who are all chasing their dreams.
The cultural sphere was changing rapidly.
L.A. had started to connect with me in a new way. I realized I was sharing something in common with all of these people I was meeting. We were all in Los Angeles to create something we could be proud of. I wanted to document the ambitious young go-getters currently in the midst of this creative renaissance on the West Coast. Being from the UK, L.A. felt like the right place in the world to explore the medium of photography and push my boundaries as an artist.
L.A. IS A CITY THAT REVOLVES AROUND PEOPLE ALLOWING NATURAL COLLABORATION AND CONNECTIONS TO FORM.
Whilst forming these connections I started to acknowledge that even in our different industries (music, sport, film, etc...) we were all inherently interconnected - something not often recognized. After realizing that a pro athlete has a very similar mindset to an aspiring filmmaker, "To Live and Try in LA" was born. The first exhibit in 2017 featured then rising stars musician Billie Eilish and actor Ashton Sanders who have gone on to become global icons.
The exhibition series has now shown 3 years in a row partnering with brands such as ASOS, Red Bull, and most recently Nike to continue bringing the project to a real-life space where people can come together to celebrate not only the features talent but also the city of L.A. and most importantly...having goals and dreams.
The 2019 installation of the project, "To Live and GO in LA," was a collaboration with Nike that solely focused on runners in Los Angeles with the 'Live and Try' mentality. Together we created custom seeding boxes for their new shoes, an exhibition at Blue Ribbon Sports in Santa Monica (Nike's first-ever retail space), and a short documentary that went on to be picked up by Amazon Prime Video. Nike took the project even further to their flagship store at The Grove in Los Angeles where they exhibited the images, screened the film, and hosted a panel featuring the runners and myself. Four years since its birth, the project has now successfully become recognized in L.A. and with dreamers across the globe.
COLLECTIVELY, I FEEL THESE STORIES CREATE AN UNBELIEVABLE FORCE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORK, I WANT YOU TO FEEL THEIR JOURNEY...
MORE THAN EVER, WE AS CREATIVES NEED TO SUPPORT AND ELEVATE THE IDEAS OF OTHER CREATIVES.
I have always lived by the notion of rising with my peers and in doing so celebrating a shared success. At its very core, working hard is what To Live and Try in LA is about. This isn't just a big reality show. L.A is a city with increasing living costs and rapidly spreading gentrification, being a creative here is harder than ever before, and I wanted to pay tribute to that challenge.
