Charlotte-based artist CHD:WCK!, standing in front of one of his paintings. (Photo by Armando Bellmas.)
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Chad Cartwright is a Charlotte-based visual artist who goes by the name CHD:WCK!. The 31-year-old native of East Orange, N.J., describes his work as a “clean and simple” combination of “structure and chaos.” Although he was not traditionally trained as an artist, CHD:WCK! enjoys creating art in all its forms — from sculpting to photography.

“Photography is awesome,” he says. “It’s an easy medium for people to understand and it allows me to directly show the perspective from which I see things.”

The downside of photography, he says, is that he can only capture things with his camera that already exist. “I find it more satisfying to create something new, or deconstruct things that exist and reconstruct them to create a new narrative.”

In the following chat with Qcitymetro.com, CHD:WCK! explains what inspires him, the message he wants to portray through his work and why he enjoys photographing nudes.

Qcitymetro: What is art to you?

CHD:WCK!: Art is primarily about expression, but it’s always about beauty — whether capturing it, creating it, challenging it, or using it to express your reaction to something. People are drawn to what they view as beautiful, so art creates an opportunity to connect with people or share your perspective by using beauty as a tool. I especially enjoy finding beauty in unusual places and getting other people to see beauty in things that are ordinary, or they would otherwise see as ugly.

Who or what inspires you?

So much inspires me — beauty, texture, words and phrases that can have multiple meanings, music, anything that makes me think. Usually the things I capture or create are a response to what I see or what I desire to see more of. When things catch my attention, I just try to take note of why, in order to see if it reveals something about myself or if there is an aesthetic statement

A look at CHD:WCK!'s photographic work.

Do you have a message to your art? If so, what is it?

Personally, I want to always be growing as a person, and I try to use my art as one way to challenge myself to grow and also express my convictions. My aim is to put my most positive foot forward. I hope what people get from my work is “Explore yourself, expand your perspective, question your understanding, and find something to believe in. Be uniquely individual just like everyone else.”

You've said that you find shooting nudes creatively satisfying. Can you explain?

I enjoy being able to capture people as I see them and that people allow me to use their body to express my ideas. I’ve been pleased that the subjects who have trusted me to capture their beauty as I see it have described the sessions as a positive and liberating experience. Many who have viewed my images have expressed that my work helps them see their own bodies as beautiful. Others have expressed that seeing everyday women share themselves so candidly impresses a confidence that is empowering. As more people see my work, people have become increasingly trusting of my vision for their beauty. I think it means I’m sharing something with my nudes that resonates with people, and that they would love to use their own bodies to share something positive. I find that very satisfying.

One of the artist's "AphroWoman" images.

You've also said that you use nudes to explore and challenge your personal beliefs and those of others — how so?

The things I desire to create always force me to understand how I feel about things and why. I grew up in a Christian household, and while I don’t consider myself a practicing Christian, I do respect the values by which I was raised, one of which being modesty. I believe that the body and sex were created by God, and that they are inherently natural and beautiful. I do believe that sex should be intimate, but I don’t believe that being nude is inherently sexual or indecent. It’s the situations and attitudes that we attach to it that make it anything other than beautiful and decent. For me, the challenge is that I want the images I create to push the boundaries of beauty and sensuality without becoming erotic. There’s always a fine line, and that’s something that I struggle to balance.

How do you explore concepts of beauty, nature and culture through your artwork?

It disturbs me when people think they are beautiful every way except as themselves. The way I create reflects that. That is what my “AphroWoman” series is about. And when I shoot nudes, I desire to capture everyday people. I shoot them without makeup and with minimal adornment. Just like in the rest of nature, even our imperfections are somehow perfect. The colorful autumn leaves we love are dying leaves, and when we take note of their beauty, we develop an appreciation of deeper concepts, such as renewal. I also desire to create work that is more deeply personal and reflective of my own convictions; so, on a non-physical level, that will always involve getting more comfortable with who I am as a person.

A lot of my still images capture the texture of things or the process of decay and dilapidation. I love texture, as it reveals a lot about the story of things. There is richness in the story — or even the suggestion of a story — that forces you to ponder what was here, how things got the way they are, and what will happen to them when you’re no longer there.

What's next for your career as an artist?

I have collaborative projects with Joy Randall of Flawless MakeUp and Carlleena Person of Savnac Mural Designs in the works right now. I’m working on bringing quite a few old ideas into fruition, making room for new ideas. Also, I’m looking into opportunities through galleries and artist residences this year. And there’s always the ongoing search for funding and other resources to further my ideas. Overall, I always want to be in a place where I have something worthwhile to contribute artistically, and I want to have the resources to do so. The phrase “starving artist” is way too common, but effective business people tend to fair well — even in art. Learning to be a more effective business person is definitely one of the things I hope to learn this year.

To see more of CHD:WCK!’s work, visit www.chdwck.com or contact him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/artofchdwck.

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Editor's Note: This article was created as part of the Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance, a consortium of local media dedicated to writing about the arts scene.

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