Anthony Maes believes in Denver. He’s from here, so the city’s fate matters to him. His lens is his perspective. He uses it to express a vision of both what is and what can be. Oh, and he just got published in Vogue.
“I’m a visual artist,” said Maes. Not wanting to limit himself to just one medium, the self-taught photographer shoots portrait, documentary, concert and editorial, along with doing digital collages and collaborative works that he’s displayed at galleries throughout the city. The man is no slouch. In the five years he’s been in the game, he’s already taken pictures of icons like Thundercat, The Black Keys, Schoolboy Q, Los Mocochetes, Isaiah Rashad and SiR.
“When I started, I was shooting parties,” said Maes. This was five years back, when Maes said he was serendipitously lent a camera to shoot one of the Stay Up Saturdays at Fort Greene. “CRL CRRLL asked me to photograph the party one day and I’ve been going hard ever since,” said Maes. “I was actually good at it. It was the first thing I was actually good at.”
His undeniable talent was quickly recognized and his style evolved in kind. Crowd photography morphed into the minimalistic photos he took while stuck inside during Covid with a broken ankle. A few years in, Meas’ work took on a distinct viewpoint. “It’s inherently sociopolitical,” said Nick Torres, who cofounded 1855 World with Maes at the start of this year. In addition to being a studio where Maes edits and displays his work, the one-stop-shop private creative space is a place where artists can book photoshoots, recording sessions and listening events.
While the works speak for themselves, Maes has also made his angle clear. “I’m trying to blend my documentary work with my editorial work to highlight and glow up of brown, black and indigenous faces,” said Maes. “We need to be adored and seen on a large scale.”
His recent collage mural of photographs at Lester Arnold High School titled “Reflections of Color” epitomizes this notion. “I’m trying to change the narrative. It’s us getting our light, too. Why should we hide in the shadows? We’re just as beautiful,” he said. “I wanted to show young people of color people who look just like them. To beautify themselves,” he continued.
Maes and Torres both think that art can transform the city and the lives of the people in it. “We’re passionate about an aesthetic and we’re trying to bring it to life through our creative space and community events,” said Torres. Through its parties and multimedia efforts, 1855 World acts as an incubator that amplifies the cultural goals the pair set forth. “We’re multimedia curators trying to showcase Anthony’s work,” continued Torres. Both a space and a concept, 1855 World has brought shows to venues like The Banshee House and You Member?. Artists have included Olea of Soulection, Thee Sacred Souls and 1981 Tokyo. “Aside from Thee Sacred Souls, our events have been artists that haven’t been to Denver before,” added Torres. “What we’re doing is bringing the soul of the city together. We’re tapping into what the world is offering and bringing it to the Mile High,” said Maes. As a collaborative artist, Maes has worked extensively with local multimedia hyphenate Diego Florez. He also founded and runs the Denver Photo Swap and is part of photo collective theyshootn.
Vouge, of course, didn’t happen entirely by accident. When Maes saw Lakota model and climate activist Quannah Chasinghorse speak at the Outside Festival and Summit he was inspired. “I asked to take her portrait. We went backstage and I took photos of her in front of the Denver Court House,” said Maes. The piece, titled “Daughter of the Moon”, is a collage that Maes hoped would connect Chasinghorse with nature.
“I found myself at 26 years old. Now I’m on a mission to see how far I can take it,” said Maes.
More of Maes’ work can be found on his Instagram.
And check 1855 here.
All photography courtesy of Anthony Maes. Featured image by Woody Roseland.