Through the Lens: Chris Skylark

Chris Skylark’s photographic journey began as an internet kid from Atlanta. Like many others in the heyday of Tumblr, he bought a camera to document his own style and latest pick-ups, chasing aesthetic highs and sharing them with friends. Coming up in the city’s bustling music scene, friends became subjects, and subjects became stars, with Playboi Carti and Lil Yachty passing through Skylark’s frame before becoming household names. While their rise pulled him with, the artist found himself drifting toward something more experimental and raw — something more than simply documenting the moment.

The pandemic marked a turning point in Skylark's creative journey. At the time, he was living and working with Metro Boomin, often venturing out to catch some visions in a restless pursuit of captures that built the bones for his debut solo exhibition, Swallow the Lake. Housed in an abandoned office space in Time Square, lit by the ambient bleed of the city lights, familiar faces emerged in a tender suite of black and white images, raw and unguarded.

The rising star is one defined by constant evolution. What started as sole photographic practice has grown into a contemplative approach to image-making at large, encompassing paint, screen printing and film  whatever brings him closer to the vision he’s after. While his toolbox has evolved, the instincts stays the same: a devotion to the process and a refusal to stay in one lane. For our latest edition of Through the Lens, we sat down with Skylark to discuss his artistic journey and building a world by hand. Read the full interview below.

“I wanted to make more physical works that could stand the test of time, and contribute something a little bit more vulnerable...  that's how we got here.”

Could you tell us about your upbringing in Atlanta and how it's influenced your art practice?

My initial interest in any sort of art was music, and from the time I was born, I've always been surrounded by musicians. When I became a teenager, I met more people who had their own idea of life, and saw them take these incredible leaps and chances. They were able to display a level of vulnerability that I never even thought to express.

Some of my friends blew up, and by continuing relationships with them and following their growth as superstars, I was able to connect with other musicians and artists around the world. Around COVID, I got a little bored with just documenting musicians and wanted to make more physical works that could stand the test of time, and contribute something a little bit more vulnerable instead of just portraits. I was just missing that moment of fulfillment in my work – that's how we got here.

Where are you currently based?

Atlanta. It’s my favorite place ever, and I feel like that's the best place for me to be as an artist. I want to be able to go out into the world, grab my own audience, and just bring it back home – create a foundation for whoever else has something cool to say. So I feel like it's best that I stay, you know, close to home as much as possible.

Can you share any memorable experiences related to your journey as a photographer?

I met this guy, Kenneth, at the Marc Jacobs Heaven store on Fairfax. He had on these crazy pants, some custom screen-printed stuff, and a button clicked. We started talking, and he invited me over to silkscreen my first works. I'm not gonna lie, they came out so bad, but I wanted to try something new, and had such a good time doing it. It felt like I was actually taking strides towards a new level of artistry; I felt like I was evolving in that moment, right there in my friend's backyard.

Another moment was when I started working with Daniel Caesar. We would just talk all day until the sun came up. He put me on to all of his favorite philosophers. Through that, I started diving in even harder, trying to make more genuine connections with my work and figure out how I could explore more with what I was trying to evolve towards. He opened my mind because as an artist, it's our job to show you things that are already there, but from a new or different perspective.

What’s your go-to gear right now?

Naturally all of my stuff originates in photography, so some sort of cool photo, video device, film or tapes. I need my own mobile photo lab setup where I can set up my own dark room, and the biggest silkscreen in the world. I'm always gonna need that. I like to develop my own images, it’s way more fun. It just leaves a larger margin of error that creates perfect, unique images.

“I still have a long way to go, but I think we're on the right path. We gotta be exploring this a little bit further for sure.”

Can you tell us about your solo debut experience and what reception has been like?

Every day until the show started, something went wrong. Down to hours before it opened, like I got a great opportunity to use the space, but as I tried to pay for it, someone intercepted my email between me and the building owners and tried steal all of the money and the show almost didn't happen.

There were so many insane little things. I kind of saw it, though, as a test of my resilience. There were just so many hiccups in my life and in my work where I was just like, 'Damn, this is the one thing that I really have to do. I got to get all the way to the finish line.' The reception, I'm not gonna lie, it just made it all worth it. I didn't know if it would resonate with everyone – I did it for me.

The curator, Genevra, brought so many cool people that really showed so much love to the work – you know, real art critics. They had a lot of nice things to say about what I was doing, so maybe I'm onto something. I still have a long way to go, but I think we're on the right path. We gotta be exploring this a little bit further for sure.

There was a series of prints that you were selling for $250 each. What led you to this decision and how do you see access playing into your practice?

I felt like it was only fair and necessary to create and deliver something that was more accessible to my peers and to my audience. I know my audience pretty well; they're just internet kids looking for cool updates on what their favorite musician is doing. This is a completely new and unexplored space for me and them, so I wanted to give something to the kind of young person that I once was – someone who was just curious. I felt like it was just necessary for me to do some sort of small gesture to open the doors for those who had never seen the door before.

I was curious to see how my audience would mesh with the art crowd. It was funny because some of the important people Genevra invited couldn’t even get in. There were so many kids, but I couldn’t kick those people out and rob them of that experience I provided for them. The people who couldn’t get in came back over the month and got to see the stuff, but that whole experience was kind of chaotic and random, but also cool and serene. I’ll never forget it. It was easily the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

“I want everything that I do to be meaningful and to say something – to comment on where I am in life and career – so that when people explore my work when I'm gone, they’re able to draw connections to what was going on in this time.”

Has experimenting with silkscreen and printing your own images changed your approach to taking them?

On 1 million percent. For an upcoming group exhibition, I wanted to create new work because I had just delivered Swallow the Lake. I thought it was an opportunity to explore some new ideas, but in that process, I had to sit and think about what I’m trying to deliver as an artist: I want everything that I do to be meaningful and to say something – to comment on where I am in life and career – so that when people explore my work when I'm gone, they’re able to draw connections to what was going on in this time.

What does 2025 have in store for Chris Skylark?

Now, I’m working on Tana's album. I'm an executive producer, and doing this album cover and all kinds of stuff. That's one of the most exciting things that I'm doing this year, just fully exploring a new lane with that. I’ve worked a lot in a tight, close-knit capacity with artists, but never at this level, so this is super fresh and exciting and keeps me on my toes because he's so young and vibrant.

I'm doing a lot. I want to get more into filmmaking this year and put out a few short films. Maybe some animation work. I also really want to do a show with my best friend somewhere around the world. That's my number one goal for the year.

All photos courtesy of Chris Skylark for Hypeart.

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