Who is Andrew Hersey?

He's a 61-year-old self-taught artist and writer who has exhibited his work around the country at shows and in galleries. Starting in 1982 and over the course of his creative career, he's worked in painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, digital media, collage, and writing. He's a runner, low-budget traveler, music appreciator, and lover of the ocean. A survivor of both testicular cancer and clinical depression, he lives in Virginia.

How long has this website been around? What's the history?

Andrew has had an artist website since 1996, always designed and built entirely by him. While the site has always been a showcase for his work, it's recently been a little more focused than it used to be. The site is updated around the first of each month with new content.

Where can I see Andrew's work in person? How can I buy something?

Occasionally current works can be seen at various exhibitions around the country, but he doesn't show a lot. Your best bet is to contact him about sales and private showings. All of the photos and many of the drawings are available.

Who are some of Andrew's biggest influence?

The list changes. In no particular order: Charles Mingus, Francesca Woodman, Wilco, Amy Hempel, Howard Hodgkin, Sam Abell, water.

Where were the photographs taken?

Mostly in Virginia, but anywhere really. There are interesting settings all over the place, if you take the time to look.

What's with the drawings? And what do the stories mean?

They're just fun little exercises in figure drawing, and expand on the characters who live in Andrew's imagination. There always seem to be more stories that need to be told.

Yeah, but who are all these people, and why are they all naked?

Do you mean who do they represent? They're sort of like the imaginary friends you had as a kid, except that they grew up too, and also grew into more interesting and complicated people. And they live in Andrew's head, not yours. And usually the less people are hidden, the richer their stories become.

Or do you mean who models for them? Most anybody.

Is "In the Distance, Oblivious" like a photo blog or something?

Sort of. It's not really meant to be functional in the ways blogs are, but it's a place to record random little moments seen here and there. All the photos are taken with an iPhone, with little or no editing.

What does the title mean?

It's from something Andrew wrote a long time ago: "The cicadas (my mother always told me when I was little that they were cicadas but somebody else told me once that they were just crickets) have us surrounded. They call out through and across the water and the trees, just wanting a little cicadalove. Every so often a pair of headlights floats by, up above us in the distance, oblivious to the cicadas and to us, lying at the edge with water lapping up our calves to our knees."

What's the criteria for the playlist? How are the songs selected?

It started just because Andrew and his girlfriend like sending each other new music they find, so they decided to curate a monthly Spotify playlist of songs they've been listening to recently. The focus seems to change as they both find and follow different artists and genres and moods. They're picked each month in an elaborate ritual involving candles, a fancy processional, the ringing of bells, and decorative headdresses. Oh yeah, and a ceremonial ceramic gourd.

You think we're kidding, but we're not.

Why eleven?

Well, it's more than ten. But less than a dozen.