Marlisse Payamps and Rafael Medina, Artistic Partners - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Marlisse Payamps and Rafael Medina, Artistic Partners - Inside Art with Michael Rose

In the art world, it is not unheard of for peer artists to become romantic partners. Painter Lee Krasner was also the better half of Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe was muse and later wife to Alred Stiegliz, and so on.

 

Locally, popular Rhode Island photographers Marlisse Payamps and Rafael Medina are parallel artmakers as well as partners.

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Payamps and Medina are likely better known by their respective Instagram monikers, @shotxlisse and @rafeakspvd.

 

On social media, they share their unique photographic visions, which occasionally overlap but mostly cover differing territories.

 

 

For Payamps, individuals are at the center of her photographic practice. She is often found photographing events, and has an eye for both the lively moments within a gathering, or the quiet interludes between people at a party. She explains, “I love capturing people in their element, catching a vibe. Candids are always my favorite when shooting events and special occasions. The photos that happen in the in-between of all the posing. For a lot of my early portrait work, I attended meet ups sponsored by @thevantaguild and got the chance to get to work and just practice with willing subjects.”

 

 

Medina is one of the quintessential photographers of Providence for a new generation of viewers. His imagery is descriptive and cinematic. Speaking of his passion for cities, he says that he started out believing that urban photography was best practiced in a place like New York, but goes on to explain how he turned his lens to Providence, saying, “After a few attempts in other locations, I realized that none of them mattered to me like Providence did so I set my sight on getting better in my hometown and showcasing all it has to offer. I wanted to do it like I haven’t seen it done before so I tried to stay away from shooting the skyline or statehouse too much and focused on getting shots in the crevices of the city. It still draws me in every single week.”

 

 

Medina has captured many of his images in a dedicated photobook, titled DearPVD. Of the process behind the publication, he says, “I started producing my photobook back at the end of 2020 after I felt that my work was good enough to finally create one. YouTube was a massive help throughout that process, I can't stress that enough. To get started, I ended up printing around 150 small photos from my portfolio and laying them out on the floor to start selecting which ones would make the cut. Seeing in person instead of on a screen is a different perspective. It was a very difficult process and I had to be very honest with myself about my work.”

 

Medina goes on to describe the important role that Payamps had in the creation of his book, stating, “Marlisse was the only one who helped me throughout the journey since I kept everything close to the chest until it was done. I love the final product and am grateful for all the love it received.”

 

While they share much in common, the views of these two photographers diverge in meaningful ways, too. Medina often works in black and white, catching the sort of noir mood that urban spaces lend themselves to so readily. Payamps’ photography is marked instead by its use of striking color. Occasionally her palette sets off a sitter, or captures an emotion.

 

 

Speaking of this element of her work, Payamps affirms its importance to her vision, stating, “Yeah, I really love colors. Colors allow such a great range of possibilities when trying to tell a story through photography. Family and traditional color schemes are something that is displayed as a constant in my work, just by way of proximity to Caribbean influences.” She goes on to say that she would like to work more with black and white on film, where she finds that “composition is key”.

 

When asked what it is like to share their artform with one another, both artists are positive. Medina says, “Having a partner working in the same medium is a big advantage since we’re able to discuss something we’re both passionate about.” Payamps is equally ebullient about Medina, saying, “It's really helpful! He is very supportive, and definitely gives me the push I need sometimes. He cares about asking for my opinion and takes into consideration some of my crazy suggestions. I've learned a lot from watching his process of becoming a serious photographer and admire what he has been able to accomplish so far.”

 

For these artists, their partnership and shared creative passion enhance their individual work, making them two of the most promising photographers in Rhode Island.

 

Learn more about Payamps at shotbylisse.com and learn more about Medina at rafeaks.com.