“We don’t stop for nothing”

An interview with Rayno Malone 

This interview between Rayno Malone and curatorial fellow, Cammy White was recorded on December 4th, 2020 via Zoom 

Rayno Malone’s photographs are currently on view as part of our digital exhibition series: InSitu. SMILES and MOTIONS: TYPE 108 is both an impromptu proclamation and a therapeutic experience of a young person’s outlook on modern times. As a New Orleans native, Rayno Malone has always been motivated by his hometown and the people in it. Inspired by his tenets of protecting optimism and authenticity, Malone believes in the power of telling and passing down narratives to the ones after us. 

Cammy White: Let’s start with the title: SMILES & MOTIONS: TYPE 108 -- why that? 

Rayno Malone: I’ve never really been that great at names. I love photographs and usually in photographs you smile and I love smiling faces. The whole series was about capturing faces and trying to tell the story within the photograph; for the viewer to be able to see the picture and maybe learn something about the person just through viewing the photograph, so that’s why I went with the smile part. The motion part was about the 3D photos that I have. My 3D camera takes pictures at 4 different angles so when you put them together it has a 3D motion to it. So the smiles are the polaroids and the motion is the actual effect of it moving. 

CW: For TYPE 108 I think you told me it’s a type of camera: tell me more about that 

RM: Type 108 is the type of film that you use on the Polaroid Big Shot. It’s the only film that you use on that kind of camera, and it's an expired film, they don’t make it anymore, and the only way you can get it is off eBay and it’s really expensive -- 80$ a pack! One day, maybe 10 or 20 years from now that film won’t exist anymore! But you know photos, images they last forever. I want the viewer to always know what kind of film was used to take these photos if that day ever comes that we run out. 

CW: Something that spoke to me when I was looking at the whole series: it was taken on something tangible. Something we can’t do right now during Covid is touching each other, so when you can physically touch a photograph it brings more feeling to the actual photograph rather than looking at it on social media. I thought that was symbolic of the lack of what we can do right now. I also appreciated how rebellious the photos were: I noticed no one is wearing masks. This is how the generation that was younger during Katrina -- another crazy disaster like the one we’re in now -- this is how they react to Covid. I want to know your thought process behind that while you were photographing. Did you care that they were not wearing masks? How did you react internally?

RM: Internally I felt the same way as you: why is no one wearing a mask? I’m pretty sure every photo I took I had a mask on. I don't feel like a lot of people in our age range are taking this pandemic seriously. I know I do -- I’m always wearing a mask and trying to stay 6 feet away from people. But I guess I'm kinda conflicted: they probably should be wearing masks but artistically, I like that I can see their full face, their full emotion, their expressions. 

CW: I think it's therapeutic to see people breathe -- I just graduated and there was so much I was about to do that Covid just abruptly took away from me. I think that's where the rebellious part comes out in the photographs, this idea that “Covid is not going to stop me from living.” It’s very conflicting… 

RM: It's funny you said that because every time I look at those pictures it always reminds me of what life used to be like. There was a time where you could not wear a mask, not worry about keeping your distance. So being able to see these photos is kind of surreal because we can’t have those experiences right now. 

CW: It’s bittersweet to see people being young, being themselves. You see a younger generation of New Orleans in your photos. It was refreshing to see people not letting Covid get in the way of their daily life. 

RM: A lot of those kids are rebellious. They're like look: it is what it is, we're gonna make the best of it. A lot of those kids still actively go to local concerts, house shows, parties, all kinds of stuff that the mayor is completely against, they’re doing it. We’re young and we’re gonna continue to be young. We’re not gonna allow this crisis to stop us from doing what we want to do. And whether that’s good or bad is debatable but I think a lot of my subjects represent that. 

CW: You’re from New Orleans - how much do you remember about Katrina? 

RM: For me, Katrina was fun. It was the absolute best time. I was so young I barely remember any of it, so Katrina was just this big road trip. I was in 3rd grade and I couldn't comprehend what was so serious. I just thought it was cool because my family and I had in this big RV. And we drove to Gonzales, then to Houston - I lived in Houston for a month; we drove to LaPlace - I lived in LaPlace for 11 months, and we just lived in this big RV, that was the coolest time ever. Even when I went back to see my house that had 9 feet of water in it, even that was cool. It was just all an adventure. I was so young I didn't understand the damage. It's just a distant memory in a way. A lot of friends I have who are the same age are the same way. We didn't realize what was happening until we were older. 

CW: I think for me, someone that isn't a New Orleans native, when Katrina was happening, I was in Baltimore with my parents but hearing what my relatives were going through down here, I realized what was going on was a disastrous thing. I remember my mom being frantic and trying to get in contact with my aunt. It’s interesting to see your different perspective when you were a kid, entrenched in that. 

RM: My dad has a boathouse in Mississippi and after Katrina, we went down to the boathouse to check the damage, and I remember the FEMA helicopters flying over and army trucks driving down the street. FEMA dropped us down a plate of food and this disgusting FEMA water.

CW: It sounds to me like Covid is a walk in the park. Explains a lot.

RM: Compared to Katrina, for sure! 

CW: These events are both disastrous. One affected this space -- predominantly black space -- and the other is affecting the world but, both harmful to Black and Brown people. So in looking at your photographs, I wondered how your subjects processed what was going on during Katrina. Of course, everyone didn't have the same experience. I think it all goes back to taking account of the bigger picture: what's best for all of us? When I look at your photographs I think: this is awesome, I love that they're having a good time, but are we being selfish right now? 

RM: Totally.

CW: I’ve been thinking about how much Covid has affected me mentally. Yes, I should be at my house, but I miss my friends, I miss touch. 

RM: I think there’s a way to still interact with people and still go out and hang out with friends. We just have to be a lot more responsible and careful about how we do those things. But everybody had their own opinion about it: some people aren't touching anybody or going anywhere, and some people are wilding out, like the subjects in my photographs. 

CW: I want to talk about your style. How and when did you get into this whole nostalgic style while showing the contemporary individualism of younger New Orleans? How did those things come together? Where did your style come from? 

RM: I think my style comes from my imagination and who I am as a person. I think most people who know me would say I'm a silly goofy nice happy bright person. I like a lot of colors. I'm sociable, I like to talk to people and know their stories. I’ve always been a fan of documenting people's stories. I don't know if you're familiar with Humans of New York, but they were a huge inspiration for me wanting to get into photography. I liked how they took pictures of different people and told their stories. A photograph is an opportunity to learn something about the subject. I’ve always wanted to take that concept and put my spin on it. The smiley face is the symbol that represents me the most; I always have a smile on my face. I always try to see the positive side of everything and try to have my photos, video work, graphic design reflect positive energy. I think positivity is my gift to the world. 

CW: That radiates through your photos, I see a lot of vibrancy. How do you set that up with the person? 

RM: I’ve always wanted to capture the energy of youthfulness. The power of it. The spirit of it. To tell a story through. I believe that's a lot of what Andy Warhol did. His polaroids of McJagger, Basquiat, Arnold Schwarzenegger -- those are images of those people you couldn’t find anywhere else. 

CW: A lot of that was done at Studio 54, a very exclusive space. 

RM: You had to be somebody to get in there. I loved how he was always able to capture unique images of people; weird photos, funny photos. There was always something special that you wouldn't find in another picture of that person. And I think that's because of the energy and personality that he had. And that's what I try to do with my photos. I try to have positive energy and I feel that rubs off on my subjects. I don't ever want something normal. I tell my subjects to express themselves as much as they can. I don't want anything posed or bland. 

CW: The photos give you the feeling of I know that person. Because New Orleans is so small! You have so many photos of people in the city. And what we're trying to do at the museum right now is have more progressive energy. Thanking the elders but also bringing in youthfulness. Having people that live in the city on the walls for everyone to see is refreshing. To see people that look like and live like you and me on the walls of a museum is powerful. Tell me more about the individuals you chose to document? How did you choose them?

RM: A lot of my subjects are creatives: models, rappers, fashion designers. Most of the people I shot are in a creative artistic world. I like to showcase the young talent in this city because I think New Orleans is often overlooked or not given credit. I like to showcase people who are pushing the art, pushing the culture forward. I also use my polaroids for a radio show I do every Tuesday night;  that goes back to my love of learning about people and educating people. A lot of the time I use those polaroids as the covers for my radio show. 

CW: Let's talk about some specific photos. Tell me about this one: 

RM: That's Loudiene. Loudiene is a producer, rapper, entrepreneur, mogul all kinds of stuff wrapped into this crazy-ass dude. He's one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He comes from nothing, he’s seen so much violence, lost friends, family, drugs, you name it, and he's the most positive person I’ve ever met that has come from that kind of environment. You can see that in the picture! He's a happy guy, he sees the positive in everything. He lost one of his closest friends a year or 2 years ago to gun violence, and at his house, he has a big framed portrait of him hanging up in his house with some of the clothes he used to wear. I’ve only been around Loudiene 2 or 3 times, but the kind of stories he was telling me; I couldn't believe he was still here, physically, mentally, so positive. He bought this giant warehouse where he's opening up a music studio, a photo studio, a basketball court. He is truly a walking miracle. I believe he was sent from heaven to be something. You just don't meet people like that. 

CW: Being optimistic despite what we’re going through right now. I think this is one of the most important photos because it seems to reflect your style. There's masculinity coming through these photos but it's also very gentle. It seems to capture the whole purpose of your series. 

RM: He’s incredible. Every time I look at this photo no matter how I'm feeling I always become more positive. Loudiene has been through 3 times worse than what I could ever imagine, so I know whatever little problem I’m having can get better. Actually, this is the first photo I ever took on my Bigshot camera. 

CW: It sets the tone. Let’s go back to your whole motivation, elaborate more. What got you out there to start taking photos, despite the pandemic? 

RM: I think we’re living in such a negative time right now, and I've always wanted to document lives, interesting people, people I think other people should know about. We’re living in our history right now. Our kids are gonna be reading about what we did in 30, 40 years. I want to be able to say that I was part of that movement. And right now, in such a crazy and negative time when people are holding their heads down, I wanted to shine out the positivity that there still is in the world. There's always somebody smiling about something. And Loudiene represents that; he is that light at the end of the tunnel, the light in the darkness. Reminding people that we can still be happy in the shittiest of times. You can always get out of any situation if you work and you want it enough. That's what I want to remind people of with this series: there's always a reason to smile. 

CW: You’re about to make me emotional. Because you rarely see a Black man talking about another Black man like this.

RM: Loudiene is a beautiful man. I’m just being real. 

CW: Tell me more about the 3D camera.

RM: It is called a Nishika N8000 and it came out in the 80s it has 4 lenses so it takes a shot from 4 slightly different angles. The only way you could process the film at that time was to send it way out to Canada. Modern creatives took that same concept, but now you can put the images in Photoshop and put it in a motion path and that's how you get the effect that it's moving. There's a lot of apps now that have a similar effect but I’m all about originality. If I want to do something I want to use the original thing that did that. So, I went and bought that camera and that's how I got some of these beautiful images. 

CW: Where were some of these taken? 

RM: This photo was taken outside of a store called the Loyalty Club which is a lifestyle brand that's located here in New Orleans. It was during an artist photo gallery and I just took some lifestyle shots outside of it. That's my friend he goes by 2Bagg he's a rapper, and this is just a candid shot, he was just chillin and talking. I liked how I caught him in the motion of being about to speak. I like how candid the image is. 

CW: Let’s talk about this pool situation.

RM: This was fun. This was for a music video by a local artist named Stone Cold Jizzle. He has a really popular song here in New Orleans called Water and he was shooting a music video for it at The Drifter Hotel. This was during Covid so it's probably not the most appropriate thing to be doing but, you know … These were some BTS shots I got while they were filming. That's Jizzle sitting in the inflatable pineapple and these are all the girls that were in the video surrounding him. I think he had just flipped into the pool. It was a really fun time, the whole video was put on by FREEWATER which is a media collective in New Orleans. 

CW: How do you think our generation is shaping the New Orleans culture? 

RM: In New Orleans, we’re a bunch of go-getters. We stop for nothing. Every creative that I know or have an interest in, they haven't stopped at all. I don't feel like anything stops a true creative from wanting to put out what they want to put out. And it might not be the most appropriate or the right thing to do ... My friend Lango, he put on this show. I think there were like 100 people there. And it got shut down by the police. And the next day the mayor announced that we were going back into phase 2, and I don't know if that was because of that event specifically but I know that all the creatives I’ve seen are still actively trying to push out content, I don't think Covid is stopping anybody. And like I said I always thought New Orleans was the forefront of the culture; we have a hand in shaping modern art, music, video, slang, and lingo. I think we’re important in everything. I think the culture needs New Orleans. People depend on us. I feel like a lot of the biggest songs out right now have New Orleans influence in them. And I think young creatives understand that: we are the culture, we are the wave. It’s New Orleans vs. everybody. 

CW: This idea of New Orleans vs. everybody makes me think: why are people so asleep on New Orleans? Why are there no resources to bring artists' work out of New Orleans or bring resources back into New Orleans? What are other people that benefit from New Orleans culture doing to contribute? 

RM: That's why I think it's important for creatives to stay here in the city, or at least establish something that stays here. Like FREEWATER, they are based here, most of everything they do is here, even if they go to LA or Chicago or Atlanta to shoot, they bring it back here. Last year they had the block party, which was a festival with Rico Nasty and DaBaby. The fact is that they brought it back here because in New Orleans we don’t get a lot of concerts anymore unless it's like huge artists. 

CW: Like Tyler the Creator for example -- I had to go all the way to Atlanta. 

RM: The last time Tyler the Creator was here was 2015 for the A$AP Rocky and Tyler the Creator show. They did a combined show and there were a lot of great artists on that ticket: Tyler the Creator, A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown, Vince Staples -- these are all top hip-hop artists and it was at the Superdome and it wasn't even sold out!! So they allowed the general admission to just come into the VIP area for free. It’s crazy to me that those 4 artists couldn't sell out New Orleans and I think that's one of the reasons why artists fade New Orleans because maybe they don't feel that support, even though I know there's a fan base here. For any creators coming out of New Orleans, you have to bring it back here, you have to build here, we can't just give it to other people. I don't want to live in New Orleans my entire life, but I want to leave something here, bring things back here. I’m so passionate about this topic. Look what Drake did for Toronto. Before Drake did what he did for Toronto nobody was talking about Toronto like that. He's largely responsible for the culture shift that happened in Toronto. I think if people took that same mindset in New Orleans we could do the same. 

CW: Absolutely, I agree. He used his platform to bring things back to his hometown. What is up next for you? What big things are you working on? 

RM: I do a multitude of things. I see myself as a creative rather than a photographer. So right now I’m building a radio platform. It's a show that I do every Tuesday night on WAMF 90.3 FM, it's a radio talk show I do where I play an hour of music and interview creatives; documenting through conversation. Trying to use that platform to spotlight artists I have an interest in. Right now I’m trying to build that up, my long term goal with that is to have a Beats 1 Radio show with AppleMusic to do the same thing. I want to have a black-owned syndicated radio station. 

CW: I enjoyed this whole conversation and I enjoyed looking at your series -- thank you for letting me interview you. 

RM: Thank you for interviewing me.