REST EASY SPECS.
“Capture the Culture is an art exhibit that embodies the African American culture visually through paintings and photography.
All paintings and photos are from local artists from different parts of Detroit, MI.
All from different walks of life, they give you visual representations of what the culture looks like to them and how they interpret it.”
On April 22nd 2017, our team attended Capture the Culture; an art exhibition put together by Derek Dandrige, also known as Specs. The CTC experience showcased different visual artists from different parts of the city who came together to showcase their artistic ability. It was amazing being in a room full of so many visionaries at once. We had the opportunity to interview Specs about the inspiration behind the show, the preparation process, and future projects.
Q: Who are you?
A: My name is Derek Dandridge also known as Specs. I am 21 year old Detroit native that attends Eastern Michigan University. I am a freelance cinematographer and photographer. I like to capture my surroundings and create things that I see lacking in visual arts.
Q: What made you plan this event?
A: Being from the city of Detroit, a lot of people aren’t welcomed in the established art community around the city. I wanted to give my peers and myself a platform because no one else would give us the opportunity to show our talent. A lot of art shows in Detroit consists of performances which are great but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to showcase our culture from a visual medium with different points of views.
Q: How long have you been preparing for it?
A: It took me about two years to plan this, actually. It was an idea first and I went back and forth about how to present my photos, what photos would be included, and if I wanted to follow a specific theme. After a few eye opening experiences, I finally got a solid idea of what I wanted to do. The theme came first, then the name, then the photos. I contacted the other artists about it and they blessed me with their pieces. Everything just sort of fell into place after that.
Q: What artists are showcased?
A: Capture the Culture showcased Saint Jerome, Timmy Turner, and Big Mama. They are all great artists who paint. Saint, I’ve known since my 10th grade year of high school. I met Tim and Big Mama on campus at EMU. They all have a different style and I was really blessed to have them showcase their work at the exhibition. We also had Tot's Spot come through with the Chicken and Waffle Sliders.
Q: What or Who inspires you?
A: Music is my main inspiration for a lot of my photos. I usually have my headphones in while going around the city to capture my photos. My biggest inspirations are Jack Beaudoin, Vuhlandes, Chi Modu, and Marcel White (all dope urban photographers). I study their work all the time and I get inspired by their pieces; but I don’t copy their style. That’s one thing about art, sometimes people find themselves copying styles and they don’t know. I’m really careful when I shoot because I want my pieces to be original as possible.
Q: What can we expect from you in the future?
A: Everyone can expect more dope photos from me in the near future. Fathers Day of this year, I’ll be dropping a new series on my website. If it’s in God’s plan, more of my work will be displayed in more galleries around the city and maybe out of the state. Early September, I have a small web series coming so I hope everyone continues to show their love and support and watch out for these pieces.
Instagram: @shotbyspecs
REST EASY SPECS.
