To capstone his first ten years behind the lens, Sean Dackermann has released a digital exhibition entitled, Propaganda, Portraits & Performances. A majority of the imagery taking place in his hometown of Baltimore, Md. P,P&P is a visual study that can be best described as the celebration of the human spirit. Focusing on current social issues in form of a photo-documentary, it makes record of the vivid contrasts not only witnessed on a global scale, but down to a major city in an often conflicted country.
Sean began his photography career shortly after high school, where his primary outlets growing up were traditional art, music, and writing. Being inspired by the magazines he used as source material for mostly portraits, Sean decided to pick up a camera and give it a try.
“I thought to myself, ‘If I can take the photos that another art student or anybody will want to use as inspiration one day, that would be really incredible.’” Using his own life experiences and focusing on the emotion of his subjects, Sean has been able to focus on photography that puts emphasis on authenticity and realism. “I love shooting fashion work, conceptual work, but what I love when shooting any kind of work is not letting go or overshadowing the human emotion that should always be present. We’ve focused too much on the branding of companies and trends, and have continually lost sight of the most relatable part of photography with people – relatability through emotions.”
“I’ve been fortunate that everyone I’ve worked with has been very comfortable around me. They haven’t been afraid to be themselves and let me share that with the world. I couldn’t be more thankful. Whether it’s been someone who’s award-winning, a celebrity, a model, athlete, business owner, someone getting in front of the camera for the first time, or even a complete stranger, I’ve always wanted to let the feeling of self-love and confidence be the binding agent between everyone. Because no matter what stage you’re at in life, self-love and confidence should always be there with you.”
Sean has always been motivated by his love for hip-hop music, shown in full effect during Performances. Growing up in the typical American broken home, he listened to musicians such as DMX, Jay-Z, Eminem, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Tupac and Kanye West as motivation during depression episodes, or handling life experiences. “When I heard about all the different stories that were being told, I wanted to share mine. Even more, share what I witnessed and what others were dealing with, too. If I have a talent that allows me to be expressive, then I’d like to express the concern for what we deal with every day that needs to be addressed and not swept under the rug.”
While P,P&P is a very lengthy body of work, it is just the tip of the iceberg. “I’m about 10% done all that I want to create in my career. I have so many ideas I want to get out there and keep thinking of new ones every day.” Looking to establish outlets for other emerging artists as well as offer seminars on being a successful independent artist, Sean plans on curating a collection of photographs his grandfather made while he was in Pearl Harbor with the U.S. Navy. In addition, focusing on his roots of more mixed media art, music, and cinema with projects Killing Me Softly, Wealth & Indulgences; Addictions & Fetishes, Current Events and Flight coming this year.
