The Creative Women of Los Angeles

3 minute read

Los Angeles is a hot bed of creativity and promise. But it can also feel isolated and unreceptive. For photographic duo Kendrick Brinson and David Walter Banks, their new project, LA Woman, was an opportunity to showcase this wealth of female talent whilst connecting women within their community.

The ongoing portrait series profiles creative female Angelinos’ in their invariably beautiful L.A. homes. “I think someone’s home is a good representation of who they are,” Brinson tells TIME. “If it’s sloppy or if there’s beautiful art everywhere…it’s a way to visually show someone’s personality beyond how they dress or how they do their hair.”

Brinson and Banks’ offbeat style translates personality into beautiful imagery and with these shoots, no planning was needed. “We really reserve these as a time for total spontaneity,” says Banks. “We’re seeing [the space] for the first time so we are inspired simply by what we see.” The portraits are also an opportunity for the pair to experiment without the pressures of a client’s expectations. “We’ll see a little crystal hanging from the window that’s casting a rainbow across the room and try to shoot something that incorporates that,” Banks adds.

The women’s trades are diverse; from comedy actors to painters to musicians and, as is common in LA, many have side projects. “What’s been really cool is that each person isn’t just a singer, each person isn’t just a ceramicist,” says Brinson. “They’re a ceramicist but also a vintage car hunter and a hand model.”

Though the project wasn’t begun as a reaction to the women’s rights movements, the pair believes it very much speaks to the movement. “We do both consider ourselves feminists and were both raised by strong creative mothers,” says Brinson. She believes that women are “completely marginalized” in American society, particularly in Hollywood but also in creative fields more generally.

“It’s not easy being a creative person who’s self-employed. It can be very lonely. I know exactly how it feels,” says Brinson. She hopes this project helps to give creative women more visibility, as well as offering those who are just starting out some inspiration. “These strong, wonderful women are doing it; they’re living their dreams,” she says.

LA Woman works by nomination meaning everyone featured is connected in some way. “It’s a special community that we’re accidentally building,” says Brinson. Conversely this has meant the pool is somewhat limited and the majority of women are fairly young and at the start of their career. But this is also intentional. “Though there are tons of amazing 55-and-up artists, we’re trying to keep it to the young female creative,” says Banks. “There’s a shared energy of excitement and hope for the future. For what they’re going to become, for who they want to be.”

David Walter Banks and Kendrick Brinson together make up Brinson + Banks, a lifestyle and portrait team based in Los Angeles. Follow them on Instagram.

Alexandra Genova is a writer and contributor for TIME LightBox. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram

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LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Danna_Takako_0009
Danna Takako is a creative director, writer and curator, currently focusing on video. She also works with an art collective called #Fre3fall.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_AZUL_0006
AZUL, aka Jessica Faucher, is a classically trained vocalist who writes and produces music. She also makes and sells jewelry, designs costumes, and leads groups in guided meditations.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Becki_Chernoff_0004A
Becki Chernoff is a ceramicist, hand model and vintage car hunter. Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Margaret_Bienert_0003
Margaret Bienert is a singer, songwriter, pianist and harpist under the name Faux Margaux. Margaret is also a wedding filmmaker with her husband Corey.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Bethany_Mollenkoff_0006
Bethany Mollenkof is a producer and director of short documentaries.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Bri_Emery_0005
Bri Emery is the creative director of DesignLoveFest, a lifestyle blog that she started in 2009, and a product designer with a new collection of luggage at Target. Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Smiles_Davis_0002
Smiles Davis is a DJ, previously dancer.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Laina_Miller_0008
Laina Miller is an art director for beauty and fashion brands, as well as for her company Happenings Co. She also is skilled in textile design and illustration, and has studied ballet and contemporary dance for more than 23 years.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Kate_Adams_0008
Kate Adams is an actress, poet and classical pianist. Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Sophia_Allison_0004
Sophia Nahli Allison is a cinematographer and editor of short documentaries for Fusion.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Marlaine_Reiner_0002
Marlaine Reiner is a hair and makeup artist, and also sings backup vocals in the funk and soul band Sweet Bump It.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Marnika_Weiss_0002
Marnika Weiss is a stylist, working with the likes of David Bowie and Shirley Manson, and artist. Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Jesse_Chamberlin_0012
Jesse Chamberlin is the cofounder and co-creative for a new studio called MMMiracle. She is also a photographer and an operating owner of Smilebooth and Our Labor of Love.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Reshma_Gajjar_0004
Reshma Gajjar is a dancer. She has toured the world twice dancing with Madonna, and sang and danced in the opening sequence of "La La Land." She also creates ceramics.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Noel_Wells_0006
Noël Wells is a comedic actress and writer. She is currently writing her own show for Comedy Central and recently wrote, directed and starred in an indie film that will debut this year. She's also a film photographer.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Pearl_Charles_0001
Pearl Charles has been in two bands and is about to release her debut full-length solo record this fall.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Sera_Lindsey_0006
Sera Lindsey is a photographer, videographer, creative writer, and social media strategist. Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Stacey_Rozich_0228
Stacey Rozich is a painter and illustrator.Brinson+Banks
LA_Woman_Brinson_Banks_Tara_Tobler_0013
Tara Kocourek Tobler is the buyer for the set decorating department on TNT's "Animal Kingdom." She also decorates for and designs on indie films, and produces and designs on a new short film "Anamnesis."Brinson+Banks

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