Get to Know the Sadgirlsclub by Margo Wilson⚡️
The @sadgirlsclub_ is a project by American photographer Margo Wilson who explores girl's natural beauty and the daily emotions they experience, captured within her pure and distinctive photography. Find out more about her life, visions and inspirations below in our exclusive interview!
When did you start your journey as a photographer?
My journey as a photographer started when I was 19 and I bought my first camera during my sophomore year of college. I learned how to take photos from my photographer friends, I took a few classes, and then one morning I woke up and all of a sudden I was a photographer. About a year and a half ago I decided I wanted my photos to serve more of a purpose, and @sadgirlsclub_ was born.
What is the main message you want to convey with #sadgirlsclub_?
My goal is to give a sense of belonging to the women I photograph and the people who follow or see my work. I think that as a society we are obsessed with labeling feelings as good or bad. I want to celebrate that wild sense of emotion in women that is often perceived as negative. I want to celebrate that sadness that some of us cannot seem to shake. I have battled with depression, anxiety and the overwhelming sense of feeling ‘too much’ my whole life. Women have stories that they might not feel comfortable sharing in words, so I tell them in photos. I aim to show people they are beautiful in their wreckage and not alone in their loneliness.
How would you describe the style of your imagery?
The seasons tend to reflect in my photos. In the summer I am happiest and my pictures are sharp, vibrant, and focus on colour. Winter is tough for me because I was born and raised in Costa Rica, so my photos get darker as Boston becomes buried in snow. Fortunately the #sadgirls keep my photos consistent. They are what make my photos honest. The longest running themes in my photos are sexual liberation and strength in vulnerability.
Which other artists and photographers influenced you?
The sadgirlsclub title was inspired by the twitter account @sosadtoday, which is run by the poet/writer Melissa Broder. I have made a home out of her words and works and I hope that someday my photos do the same for someone. Annie Leibovitz and Frida Kahlo are two female artists that I try to channel on a daily basis. I aspire to be as iconic as Annie one day and to be able to pour my soul out onto my photographs the way Frida did with her paintings.
How do the #sadgirls inspire your work?
Every shoot is created with and designed by the subject and I together, as a team. When someone wants to shoot with me I always ask, what empowers you? What moves you? I want them to know that these photos are about getting their voices heard. This project is about taking the stories these women tell me and turning their pain into visual art, which then serves as a source of strength and empowerment.
Which are your favourite #sadgirls and muses?
Everyone I have ever worked with is my favourite sadgirl. However, my muse and the original sadgirl is my friend Amanda (@champagne.taco). She was the first person to completely support my creative endeavours in photography and the first model I ever designed a shoot with. We are just two girls with a lot of feelings and a need for an outlet, and we are happiest when we make art together. Meeting her and working with her has changed my life.
What are your future plans and where do you see the project heading within the next couple years?
I am finishing my degree in Nutrition at Boston University in December. I’ll spend two months getting back to my roots in Costa Rica before I make the move to New York in February. That city has been on my mind since I was 12 years old and I think it will bring my photography to the next level and lead it in the right direction. The newest thing I am working on involves collaborating with different kinds of artists in the Boston area and I hope to do a lot more of that in the future and in different cities. I am a poet at heart so I would really like to start designing some of my shoots around poems I have written and including the text in my photos. My following is small but certainly growing and I just hope I can continue meeting new people who are inspired by me and want to work with me as the brand evolves.
Photopgarpher: Margo Wilson @sadgirlsclub_
Models: Madi Atkins @madiatkins, Margo Wilson @ifeellikemargo, Amanda Brooke @champagne.taco, Maria Castro @iconowaffles
