René Amado, Racine
2020–21 RAM Emerging Artist Award Recipient
Based in Racine, Wisconsin, René Amado began honing his craft around 2013, in the downtown streets of San Antonio, Texas. For Amado, walking the streets and capturing the various scenes and unique individuals he would encounter was a great way to flex his creativity while unwinding from a stressful workday. Since then, he has gone on to work in many other genres of photography including: concert and live music, photojournalism, fashion, wedding, culinary, automotive, portraiture, and documentary.
Amado’s interest began in the 1980s when he was a young boy thumbing through photography magazines his father, an amateur photographer, had lying around the house. Later, he enjoyed taking photos at car shows and went on to take classes photography classes while in college.
Through his exploration of street photography, Amado found a community of artists and self-described street photographers who have helped him define his creative voice and purpose. While his professional client work often requires him to work in various environments, he remains true to his street roots at heart—practicing the same techniques and utilizing the same style developed during his early days, regardless of what he’s photographing.
Artist Statement
2020. I write that one word/phrase as a sentence with no accompanying verbs, adjectives, nouns, or anything else, and feel like it’s more than adequate on its own to have an impact on anyone reading it.
The depression, solitude, and uncertainty I felt when the pandemic began were quite crippling to me. Then, as the weather warmed up and the American social climate boiled over to extreme temperatures, I made it my personal mission to do all I could to help others and push the social justice movement forward.
As a photographer, my camera is my tool. It is my Swiss Army knife, as it can be my key, my pen, my crutch, as well as my sword. Wielding it, while so many dramatic events and scenes unfolded across Southeast Wisconsin and our country, became an impassioned duty for me.
Thankfully, through all of the shutdowns and uproar, not all of what I captured was so heavy in “the feels.” My days of shooting lowriders, models, and sunsets were invaluable reminders of why the hard times are worth fighting through.
René Amado, Racine
2020–21 RAM Emerging Artist Award Recipient
Photography: Camela Langendorf, Varitay Studios
Based in Racine, Wisconsin, René Amado began honing his craft around 2013, in the downtown streets of San Antonio, Texas. For Amado, walking the streets and capturing the various scenes and unique individuals he would encounter was a great way to flex his creativity while unwinding from a stressful workday. Since then, he has gone on to work in many other genres of photography including: concert and live music, photojournalism, fashion, wedding, culinary, automotive, portraiture, and documentary.
Amado’s interest began in the 1980s when he was a young boy thumbing through photography magazines his father, an amateur photographer, had lying around the house. Later, he enjoyed taking photos at car shows and went on to take classes photography classes while in college.
Through his exploration of street photography, Amado found a community of artists and self-described street photographers who have helped him define his creative voice and purpose. While his professional client work often requires him to work in various environments, he remains true to his street roots at heart—practicing the same techniques and utilizing the same style developed during his early days, regardless of what he’s photographing.
Artist Statement
2020. I write that one word/phrase as a sentence with no accompanying verbs, adjectives, nouns, or anything else, and feel like it’s more than adequate on its own to have an impact on anyone reading it.
The depression, solitude, and uncertainty I felt when the pandemic began were quite crippling to me. Then, as the weather warmed up and the American social climate boiled over to extreme temperatures, I made it my personal mission to do all I could to help others and push the social justice movement forward.
As a photographer, my camera is my tool. It is my Swiss Army knife, as it can be my key, my pen, my crutch, as well as my sword. Wielding it, while so many dramatic events and scenes unfolded across Southeast Wisconsin and our country, became an impassioned duty for me.
Thankfully, through all of the shutdowns and uproar, not all of what I captured was so heavy in “the feels.” My days of shooting lowriders, models, and sunsets were invaluable reminders of why the hard times are worth fighting through.
Interview with the Artist, January 2021
Would you please describe your work—what materials you use; what subject matters you explore?
When photographing, my aim is to always capture the true essence of a moment or chosen subject. I try to disturb or manipulate the scene as little as possible. When editing, I go off of the feeling I get from the image in order to enhance what I’ve captured [with the camera].
I started out as a street photographer and I feel that everything I shoot, regardless of subject, has a bit of that essence [random and chance happenings in public]. More formally, I would describe my style as documentary, photojournalistic, lifestyle-oriented, and candid. Subjects I explore artistically include lowrider culture, graffiti, candid portraits, landscapes, models and the idea of beauty, and street scenes.
How often are you in your studio? Do you work outside of your studio much or at all?
Depends on the weather! I really only shoot with models or paying clients in studio when the weather forces me to or the idea requires it. Either I am working on things that happen in the streets or on things I’d prefer to shoot in the streets or outdoors.
What inspires you most these days? But also what do you go to bed thinking about most nights?
In the past year, it wasn’t hard for me to find inspiration through the events that occurred all around us—so many stories and scenes to capture. People’s ability to push through and overcome challenges really impacted me—made me feel like it was an absolute duty for me to capture and share as much as I could. And on the quiet days, my inspiration came in the form of sunrises, sunsets and nature.
Most nights I lay down thinking about all I didn’t do that day or what needs to be done the next day. It’s terrible, I know.
What does it mean to you to get recognition as a RAM Emerging Artist?
It’s an absolute honor. As a teenager, I expressed my artistic creativity through drawing, graffiti, and the lowrider bikes I built. But, I didn’t take art seriously. I never thought about being recognized for anything I’d do. And, I definitely didn’t see Racine as a place for art. While living in San Antonio, I found my way into a community of artists that really helped me to find vision, encouragement, and purpose in what I did and what I wanted to do. When I moved back to Racine, I came back with a lot of confidence in continuing with what I had been doing in Texas, expanding on it and being taken seriously for it. Thankfully, I have found a pretty amazing community of creatives and other supporters here that have really given me so much more encouragement and inspiration to keep pushing with what I do. So to be awarded as RAM’s Emerging Artist was huge. Thank you.
Sample of Work
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