Lindsey Poyar | Artists Run the Streets
From paint sets as a kid to moody, cinematic photography today, @LindseyPoy has always known she was meant to be an artist.
Her work pulls you into a darker, dreamlike world, often in contrast to her rural Ohio upbringing. It’s her way of exploring identity, duality, and expression on her own terms. Her biggest hope? That her art inspires people to create again, to tap back into that childhood spark and make something real.
To Lindsey, Artists Run the Streets is a reminder that creativity lives all around us. “Art is everywhere. OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE!”
"My name is Lindsey Poyar but I go by @LindseyPoy everywhere online. I was born in Orange County, California but grew up in Chardon, Ohio. The type of art I create is photographs."
How did you first get into art — was there a specific moment or influence that sparked it?
"Being an artist is who I've always innately been. Even at five/six years old when I would be asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say "an artist", which was kind of an unpopular answer at the time. I'm really lucky to have had a mom that helped me find my passions as a kid. Because she could tell I was drawn to art, she would try to help me harness my talent. Signing me up for different art classes, always supplying me with markers and paints to express myself. Our birthday tradition in California was her pulling me out of school to go gallery hopping in Laguna Beach. It wasn't until college that I found photography and I've been nonstop with it ever since."
How does your art reflect your background or the community you come from?
"I honestly feel as though my art contradicts my community and background. My work is like an alter ego. My current style has been described as dark, brooding, yet seductive. I love experimenting with grungy darker concepts but I'd say my work doesn't necessarily reflect my aura. I am goofy, naive, positive and had an amazing childhood in a rural-ish part of Ohio. I am going to be creating work this season showcasing some Ohio landscapes in my dark editorial concepts to start bridging that gap."
What do you hope people feel or take away when they see your work?
"I hope that people feel inspired to create when they see my work. I think as we grow up we stop being as creative. I'm so lucky to have a best friend/muse where our relationship is to continue to push each other and inspire one another. We get inspired by the world around us, pop culture and the films we see and it gets us thinking about how to create certain things with our own takes. And I just hope our art can help spark that fire in others."
What does "Artists Run the Streets" mean to you personally?
"Artists Run the Streets to me means that art is everywhere! OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE!"
This ILTHY collection is all about celebrating artists- what does that recognition mean to you personally?
"For photography, recognition is everything because creating photographs with someone is all about trust. It's a very vulnerable act to be photographed and I don't take it lightly. The more people I work with, the more a new client feels as though they can trust me. It's almost like the bandwagon effect in a way. "
Why is it important to celebrate local artists and give them visibility?
"I think it's important for artists to feel celebrated in their city so they stay and raise the city up while also growing and flourishing in their own right. The artists I look up to the most are the ones who are able to create and work with major talent and brands while proudly homebasing it in the Midwest. And the artists that tend to stay are the ones that feel celebrated and validated in their home city."
