Chelleby's Urban Angels: Evocative New Photo Series.

[Metro Jacksonville]

Chelleby's Urban Angels:  Evocative New Photo Series.



Jacksonville based photographer Chelleby is making waves with her new photo series, Urban Angels.  Part fashion photography, part social commentary, the playful exhibit brings a light wistful touch to the issues of urban blight, contemporary evils and the sometimes unlikely people sent to help.

MetroJacksonville brings you an exclusive online debut:  Urban Angels, described by its creator as being about "the things everyone pretends that they can't see:  Blight and the Angels sent to help."

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-nov-chellebys-urban-angels-evocative-new-photo-series

[sheclown]

Angels on barricades just makes me laugh.  It's almost as if they are saying "we can go anywhere we want!"

Angel 15, choose which door, and choose wisely!  This angel is a guide.

Amazing work.  Thank you for sharing these with us.

[chris m.]

OMG i loooove this pics! i want to be an urban Angel! ^^
that looks so cool. you do a great job!

yours faithfully,

chris
x

[Reaper man]

yours faithfully,

chris
x

Oh hi.  Welcome to the forums.

[Coley]

This is starkly beutiful and alrming to every fiber of being. I am breathless in my observation and feel a capitulation to breath in these images over and over again with such a satuation I feel as if the impact is on my whole person!

[Chelleby]

Thank you so much for the regards. Gracious appreciation to all that my art has moved. Very interesting how the show came about. Usually there are organized meetings, casting calls and the like for any of my art shows. But I took a leap of faith and went on a whim of my spirit and sent on lonesome text to 7 of my model friends. I gave my address and said open to all who show up at my door, they can be in the show. And those who felt lead, arrived, and shoot away I did. The show was basically spirit lead and scooter driven. The models and I drove on a scooter around Springfield holding and most of the time wearing the angel wings you see in the photos. We drove until we found something extremely beautiful, or something esthetically urban. Thus how the show was born. My point being that there is beauty in everything, we have unseen guides that lead us, and I wonder how disappointed they are, the city needs to implement a clean up crew and I like urban decay and celestial beings. Questions? I am here to answer. And yes, Chris, who logged in from Germany, my dear true friend, of course, you may be an urban angel upon stepping on US soil. Loves. The Artist. Chelleby

[Chelleby]

Hey everyone! This is Chelleby creator of Urban Angels just chiming in to give you an update. The show is set to be on gallery walls by August along with its compainion show REVEL. I am still working out and planning all the decor and waiting on funding for printing cost of the images and production cost. After the gallery show, Urban Angels will be imortalized in a series of "Coffee Table" books to bring into your home and own, share and enjoy. Inidividual artist sighned copies of Urban Angels are also available for purchace right now. The Urban Angel series is alive and well and becoming quite a thriving series. Updated and current images are being added everyday to my personal face book page. If you are a fan than I welcome you to add me as a friend to stay in the loop. Also metrojacksonville will, of course, post the art gallery show dates and times when that becomes set and assured. Thanks again. Grace and peace to you all. Chelleby

[JC]

Hi, just curious what sort of work the so-called angels are involved in, anything specific? 

[Chelleby]

"Messengers sent to be guardians and protectors of the human race, Angels are captured candid and unaware, caught in doubts of their mission, arguments with God, indecision, confusion, sorrow, frustration and disgust at the urban blight that has become of Earth and man kind. Creator ~Chelleby"

The models who posed, are professional or aspiring models from all backgrounds and fields.

~Chelleby

[JC]

"Messengers sent to be guardians and protectors of the human race, Angels are captured candid and unaware, caught in doubts of their mission, arguments with God, indecision, confusion, sorrow, frustration and disgust at the urban blight that has become of Earth and man kind. Creator ~Chelleby"

The models who posed, are professional or aspiring models from all backgrounds and fields.

~Chelleby

So in short, 'not actually'?

[Chelleby]

It is art JC meant to be embraced and inspirational. Open for interpretation.

[Chelleby]

Hey everyone! Urban Angel show dates are pushed back to 2011 due to funding and expenses. Please add me, "Chelleby Starr" on face book to stay up to date on the latest artistic expressions, shoots, and gallery exhibits by this artist.

Grace, peace, truth
beauty and love

~Chelleby
Creator Urban Angels

[JC]

It is art JC meant to be embraced and inspirational. Open for interpretation.

I get what you are saying, it just seemed as thought there were some social commentary that went along with the photos.  I am just trying to better understand the series is all.

[JaxDiablo]

They're hot people with wings in run down areas...

I'd interpret it as the beauty in a place you wouldn't see it type of work, not that these people would regularly be in that area helping or doing volunteer work or anything of that nature (not saying that they don't). 

So just appreciate the hotness in the urban decay and don't look for a deeper message or for the "angels" to start doing any volunteer work with the homeless... but if you want to steal that idea to help promote the book and get yourself some more publicity go for it.

[JC]

Chelleby's work has fairly obvious roots in fashion photography, but her subject matter and central themes are hardly the empty headed glamour shots and moody lighting or melodramatic telenovella oevre.  Indeed, her models are young, fashionable, beefy, pouty and gorgeous, but in her photography they are imbued with something more than just their obvious physical charms.  Instead she concentrates on social issues with a whimsical and light hand, presenting images that are both attractive and thought provoking.

Above is where I got the impression that this was 'more' than just pretty faces in an urban setting.

Urban Angels is her new series, and it mixes images of a few social phenomenon with a couple of higher themes and ideas.  It is no less a reflection of the young hip urban people who have flocked back into the inner cities and urban spaces as it is the incongruous call of duty to heal, help, cure guard and repair the tragic neglect and decay that they found there.

I think you would be very hard pressed to find someone who frequently volunteers their time getting photographed in angel wings.  

Across the country the same story has been played over and over:  The grandeur and grace of our historic cities left to decay and ruin, only to be rediscovered by these unlikely, sometime gritty and scrappy angels.

Some more clarification on the above statement would be great.  

Urban Angels also underlines that sometimes divine intervention can come in surprising forms.

Again, what divine intervention?