Camden is a Phoenix-born, Los Angeles-based artist studying graphic design and marketing while exploring multimedia collage and photography. He draws much of his inspiration from the Southwestern imagery of his home state and enjoys incorporating vibrant colors, illustration, and elements of abstraction into his work. Camden has begun developing a portfolio that infuses his unique lighthearted, colorful visual language into branding projects, merchandise design, zines, and other printed matter. Camden is always eager to experiment with new mediums and techniques and hopes to expand his skillset, pursuing a creative career that allows him to explore increasingly physical ways of art-making.
Through Innocent Eyes highlights the feelings and emotions of formerly incarcerated individuals experiencing life for the first time since imprisonment through image, object, and sound. It follows Robert, a man experiencing his first hours and weeks after being released from a 23-year sentence, and highlights impactful memories of others–primarily lifers–as they reflect on the first moments of experiencing life again. This project is not concerned with the crimes the participating individuals have committed or the circumstances that led to their time behind bars. Instead, it seeks to highlight their humanity and who that person has worked to become to givethemselves a second chance at life.
The question, “what experience are you most looking forward to?” Alternatively, “what was the thing that you most looked forward to doing once you were released?” was posed to the participants. Many answers shared common themes. Of course, seeing family again was the most common. Others included returning home, having a specific meal, and driving. However, many participants shared the longing for or the memory of visiting the beach and seeing the ocean again. Thus this project also became something unexpected–a love letter to the ocean. A reflection on the edge of the world that can also feel like its beginning.
Through Innocent Eyes seeks to use joy as a connecting emotion between the subject and the viewer, allowing a level of human understanding that transcends innocence, guilt, and judgment.
