Inside the Abstract Euphoria of Arielle Bobb-Willis

Such difficult experiences have helped Bobb-Willis develop her idiosyncratic photography style, featured on billboards, The New York Times Magazine covers and Acne Studios campaigns. Through her use of vivid hues and by having her subjects strike physically challenging poses, she’s mastered the art of creating a playful world that lures viewers in.

“I wish everyone looked like the people in my photos all of the time—just blobs of color,” says the artist, who gently pushes her subjects to move freely during photo shoots. In 2019, her work was featured in Antwaun Sargent’s groundbreaking book, The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion, alongside the likes of Campbell Addy and Tyler Mitchell.

The artist brings her unique practice to POP, GOAT’s newest campaign she shot with the help of stylist Tess Herbert in the heart of LA’s West Adams. Heralding the arrival of summer, the seasonal showcase taps into memories of warm weather and long days, capturing the euphoric feeling of possibility with bold colors and vibrant prints.

We caught up with Bobb-Willis to discuss her approach to shooting POP, how she developed her unmistakable visual language and what to expect from her first book, Keep the Kid Alive, due out in October 2024.

You’ve been extremely candid about how your experience of moving from New York City to South Carolina following your parents' divorce caused you to develop depression and anxiety. Can you talk about how photography helped you find solace during that difficult transition?

Moving from New York to South Carolina was very tough. I felt isolated pretty much immediately. They thought I was weird. It was a very Republican, very old money and very conservative environment. They didn't know if I was Black or not. I was always being questioned. Photography helped me remain very, very, very present at that time when I was developing so much anxiety about my future.

Photography asks, “What is in front of you? How would you want to take pictures of it? What is that color there? Is the wind blowing this way?” I started to do photo shoots and it kept me present. Everyone's looking for something to keep them present, be it cleaning or yoga; it was just meant to be for me. I knew I wanted to be a photographer at 14.

In what other ways have your personal experiences helped you develop your visual language?

I think the pinnacle moment for me was in 2016 when I was in New Orleans; where I live has always played a huge role. I went to college in New Orleans, and I was on my bike and got hit by a car. I tore ligaments in my left shoulder. I thought I was done.

I was shooting at the time, but I was still a little bit nervous about going as far as I wanted—I was on the brink of doing the type of photos I do now. I was bedridden for six weeks, so I had to sit and think about things. A near-death experience brings out the “f— it energy.” I started taking myself more seriously, not being afraid to show people who I am and not being afraid of being seen. I’m still working on that because I want my photos to get all the attention. It doesn't matter what I look like, I just want the work to shine.

But after that, it was a no-brainer for me. I had a sling. It was really painful, but I was like, “I have to start.” I took my first couple of photos through the pain and kept going from there. People always ask me, “How do you do it?” and it’s like, “just get to know yourself.” Make getting to know yourself a big priority because there isn’t anyone else that has your experiences.

My goal was never, “Oh, I’m going to be a photographer and I’m going to take pictures of celebrities and be famous.” [Laughs] I just knew I wanted to take pictures forever. I had no other expectations. I just wanted to do it for the rest of my life. As I got to know myself better, I realized that’s why I create the way I do.

Much of your work is inspired by Black painters such as Sister Gertude Morgan, Mary T. Smith, Jacob Lawrence and Benny Andrews. How and when did you first come across their work?

My dad has a lot of prints of theirs, so just that and by having their books in the house. I think everyone’s first introduction to art ends up instilled in their brain and growing up in New York, abstract art was my introduction. Growing up, I always wanted to be in that world. I wished I could live in those paintings. I wanted to create a world for myself that I would like to live in just like those paintings.

With paintings, there’s no limit to what you can do with the body, with anything. And in reality, photo shoots can be limiting, especially when it comes to photography, so I gently try to push my subjects to do things that are not of the day-to-day. I wish everyone looked like the people in my photos all the time. I wish we could all just be blobs of color.

Do you paint as well?

I’ve been painting recently. I don’t know if I am a painter yet because I didn’t like it for so long. I guess because I was impatient. In photography, the work is pretty quick, whereas I recently repainted a William H. Johnson painting in my living room and it took four days, but it was so fun and I actually really, really love it, so I’m kind of getting into it now, just recreating. I think in the beginning it’s cool to recreate all the people that you like and see what it feels like to do it. If I could paint, my photos are the paintings I would paint.

You’re currently working on your first photo book, Keep the Kid Alive, which releases in October. Why was now the perfect time for you to make this debut?

It’s with Aperture and I initially told them that I felt like a book means an end. For some people, books can be like a project or about a certain subject and then you finish it and move on, but I don’t feel like I’m moving on so that’s where my hesitation came from. But then they were like, “Hey, let’s make it 10 years of your work. You’re going to keep making stuff. It’s not an ending.” And I was like, “Ok.” I just turned 30, so it’s a good year to put it out and look back. I’m so excited.

The title is powerful. What does it mean to you and how did it come to you?

I was in an Uber—passenger princess vibes [laughs]—taking pictures as always. While passing through the Lower East Side, I came across graffiti that said “Keep the kid alive.” My editor actually saw it in Brooklyn as well. It made me go hmmm… It makes sense to keep it alive because photography—and this is kind of dramatic—has saved my life in a way. It’s therapeutic for me.

Depression can take you to really horrifying depths, so having a tool to keep you afloat mentally every day is the biggest blessing. There are so many lessons that photography has given me; keeping that sentiment alive is part of my practice. That's why I do it, and I hope other people find something that makes them feel an ounce of how photography makes me feel.

You recently shot POP for GOAT. What was your approach to shooting this project and what was your experience like on set?

I basically style everything. I love to style. I love clothing. I think that’s my mom’s influence on me. Her store had Juicy Couture suits and other early 2000s stuff. I’ve always loved clothes. They’re so fun. You can put patterns together that are maybe not supposed to be paired together. A shirt doesn’t have to be a shirt; it can be a skirt.

I worked with Tess Herbert, a stylist I’ve worked with ever since I moved to LA; she’s really collaborative. With stylists, I like to be there and chat with them because the styling is so important to me. And GOAT has all the clothes.

Color is so important to your work. How were you able to express that through this campaign?

I mix certain colors together intuitively. I don’t really go into it being like, “I feel sad today, I want to shoot blue.” That’s not really my thing. It’s what feels intuitively right with art and creating.

The West Adams neighborhood where we shot has so many beautiful, colorful homes. That’s why I like living in California because there’s just so much for me to work with all the time. It's always sunny. There are always shadows, color and saturation. There are a lot of cool backdrops to work with.

You recently turned 30. What are your current dreams and hopes for this new decade of life?

It's so crazy because 14-year-old Arielle saw this Arielle very clearly. I have a cute one-bedroom apartment. People are like “Do you dream of a Vogue cover?” I’m like, “I want a home that I just feel comfortable in. Is that cool?” [Laughs]

Right now, I’m just basking in the decade and the work that I put in. I feel myself shifting, and, for sure, I’m a completely different human being than when I started my work. I feel very different yet I feel like how I did when I was 20—just gathering a lot of inspiration and finding it in places I haven’t before. Giving myself permission to be patient and work smarter. Not being like, “Ugh, I have to put out work on Instagram or I don’t exist,” and not letting that control my life. I’m excited for the book and to keep shooting; to keep falling in love with things and have nice days. That’s my goal in life.

This interview is part of GOAT’s exploration of POP. Discover more about the vibrant movement through 10 Maximalist Designers and the Color Theory Behind Their Work.