Art Militant: Nicholas Bailey Uses Photography as a Means of Resilience

“All black people are magical.” A simple quote given by Nicholas Bailey, the Virginia born technologist and photographer, when asked what he wanted people to take away from his October exhibition with Not Another Gallery. Nicholas Bailey sees the camera as an extension of himself and sees creativity as a way of expression but also a function and tool to build his own personality in the world of media and the extended art space. It has always been the gray area connecting his corporate experience during the day and his social engagements at night.

The IT professional and image maker who once saw the corporate world as a foundation now looks to straddle the two equally demanding industries, dedicating much time and attention to detail when it comes to staying current with technological advances, curation and photo editing. He continues to build a name in New York as he engraves his imprint in the tech space while also working to find his own voice in the creative world through a photography project and book entitled, “Black Magic” that he’s worked to develop since the pandemic.

In an excerpt of an unreleased, exclusive series of interviews with musician Andre Talford, who was also the writer who helped create the language for Bailey’s first solo exhibition gives us his elaborate view of the project, “His candor was the perfect introduction to our conversation on the unifying theme of his most recent work. “Black Magic” is a photo series illuminating diversity of expression, cultural norms, and subtle hallmarks of the black experience that are obscure to the unversed. Bailey's mission was to create a series accentuating the beauty of simple existence. We spoke about the importance of increasing the visibility of black people “in their element.” A refreshing perspective considering the lack of regularity in which we see these portrayals in media. He credits being well traveled, and his insights as a black man for his keen ability to capture moments that will resonate with his audience. Hailing from Norfolk, VA and moving around the country to work and live allows him to identify with a diverse range of cultural environments and signals. Photos in the series include everything from cameos of some familiar faces such as Issa Rae, and Maxo Kream, to groups of travelers carrying signature accessories, and a spades game at a family function. He delivers a glimpse into the vastness of the community and connects seemingly divergent subjects and their experiences with his preeminence behind the lens and emphasis he places on depicting joy.”

Nick comments on keeping a healthy balance to document more while being so immersed in the tech world with, “It’s almost a surprise if I DON’T have a camera on me at this point.” He uses it as his tool when networking to build connections, archive moments and share memories with colleagues – all part of his personality as is, but the camera lets him give a creative twist to his intentions and the vision of his goals as a participant in the modern tech world. We found time to dig in for some dialogue about his experience in tech as well as his presence in the creative side of the world. Let’s start with your journey in the corporate world.

How were you able to navigate to a global team in such a competitive field?

“Most recently, I was the Global Head of IT Operations for a major media conglomerate. That’s a long way away from my first ever technology job in 2013 – working for the Best Buy Geek Squad. I took a lot of strategic steps throughout my career, making sure I learned as much as I could from each job, eventually working my way from an hourly tech support guy to running a whole global team. Big corporate, nonprofits, healthcare, media – you name it, I’ve built the technologic organization for them.”

You have been a part of tech engineering and systems teams at companies like Apple, UNOS, Marriott, PRA Group and Capital One throughout his 12 year path through the vast world of technology. Were you influenced by technology as a child or was it a business decision for you?

“Although I was always a tech nerd, I never originally wanted to do it as a career. When I dropped out of college, I wasn’t going to sit on the couch, so I thought about what career would give me longevity, plus the life I wanted to live. I was actually heavily against it at first, though! Growing up, I wanted to be a writer or photographer full time — funny how life works out, because I’m now doing it all simultaneously.”

What sect of the tech world are you most interested in?

“This phase of my career — mainly two things. Cybersecurity and the education behind technology. Cybersecurity should be everyone’s number one focus. It’s a never-ending cycle with new threats daily. No challenge repeats itself so it’s a continuous learning experience. On the mentorship side, there aren’t many Black senior leaders in the tech space that I’ve come across over the years. It’s usually me + one or two. I want to make sure I’m ALWAYS reaching back and bringing folks along. Making sure they have the exposure so they know it’s all possible.”

What are your thoughts on the future of AI?

“It’s here and we all need to get on board some kind of way. I think we all need to find a level we’re comfortable with, while at least just being familiar. It’s not going anywhere. With that being said, I keep it to a limit in my own life — now, and probably for the foreseeable future too.”

I’m all for it being a tool and/or a sidekick as we continue to grow our own knowledge, processes, strategies — but I think a major downfall will be when/if people become completely reliant on it. A critical thinker with access to proper AI tools, though? That’s who will thrive the most.

It’s always interesting to hear reactions from different creators and tech friends about AI - we will just have to keep an eye on its progression but let’s switch gears to your artistic ventures. You’ve had relationships with quite a few brands along the way including Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Dove Men+ Care, Corvousier, Jordan Brand, WavEnforcer, Moose Knuckles and Yamazaki Home. How long were you creating your own content before your first brand partnership? Which brand - how did it come about? Also, which was your favorite to work with so far?

“I think one thing that’s always helped me out is I’ve been doing this since before it had a name, before I even had a goal. I was on MySpace doing unboxings, fit pics, writing short form things about places I’ve been and my experiences. Plus, I’ve kinda always had good taste. Less pressure once I really got into the thick of it, because I’ve been creating forever — not just for the current goal. Once I started to take it seriously and being organized and editing at a certain level, within a few months I landed my first ever paid partnership with the amazing family behind Lone Deodorant. They trusted my vision and took a chance on me. My favorite client to date has been Dove Men! Unlike other big brands, I love the creative freedom that comes with our relationship — together we’ve created some hits.”

Have you been able to find a merger between creativity and corporate life?

“People and business acumen. There are so many different types of people in the creative space, all the same for the corporate space as well. Corporate training has helped me be more professional in the creative space with all types of people, helped me better conduct business, staying organized, seeing projects through to completion. The creative side of my life has kept me grounded in the corporate space, helping me with consistency, staying true to myself and thinking outside of the box when it comes to corporate projects.”

What was once a dream has become a lifestyle for Nick, life as a young professional in the Big City and documenting his daily life around the neighborhood when he’s not in office. The scenery along his routine walk tells the story of community and togetherness in Bed Stuy with his popular images of nearby historical mosques pictured in “Prayer 1” and “Prayer 2” at a massive EID gathering to his more recognizable image, “Brooklyn Summers”, your classic New York scene with the youth taking over a city block enjoying a fire hydrant turned street geyser. With spring around the corner a season, a season where the borough sees numerous block parties, festivals and events to the borough, this vibrant neighborhood seamlessly transforms into a candid portraiture artist’s paradise giving Bailey the perfect chance to illustrate his vision through photo and archive the whole show.