Pablo Picasso reportedly once said, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
With this in mind, we are pleased to announced a new feature of HuffPost Arts: Instagram Spotlight. We just love the youth-centric iPhone feature that turns amateurs into artists with the click of a button. Instagram reminds us that even those who aren't working artists still have a vision worth sharing, and HuffPost Arts wants to provide a platform to these photographers who are moved by beautiful moments. We will be featuring our favorite gems on the site along with their stories and inspirations, and will continue to scour the web for budding photographers. If you think this could be you, keep being creative and we will find you!
Today we are featuring Xenz, a UK-based graffiti artist and world traveler who takes photos from India to Bristol.
HP: Tell us about where are you from and what is your 'day job'. Are you a professional photographer, or is photography just a hobby for you? (If you're an artist, please include any links to your other work).
X: I am an artist mainly a painter. I paint graffiti murals and also paint canvases and things in my studio in Hackney Wick. My website is www.xenz.org.
HP: When did you start using your phone as a camera?
X: I use lots of cameras but ever since the mobile phone merged with the digital camera it has provided me with a constant ability of recording what I see so I can later... maybe in a painting or for reference. I have to confess, I love the irony of using Instagram to make the photo look like it was taken in 1975 or on a disposable camera. I have only been using Instagram for a few weeks but am hooked. Although was annoyed that Facebook bought it. I really don't like Facebook.
HP: Has there ever been a moment you were especially happy to have had your cameraphone handy?
X: Yes, but I got thrown out of the club.
HP: Who are your favorite people you follow on Instagram?
X: Wallkandy is run by a really talented photographer named Ian Cox. He has documented the street art movement over the past decade.
HP: Who are your favorite photographers?
X: Guys I know: Ian Cox for capturing artists at work, Romany Wg for beauty and decay, Luke Plamer for portraits and city scapes, Chiara Meatelli for musicians, and ultimately Helmut Newton for studies of women.
Follow Xenz at @zu3x. And keep uploading those Instagrams... you could be our next featured spotlight!
See a slideshow of Xenz's images below, along with his thoughts:
