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International Photographers in East London Photomonth 2012
INTERVIEWED by_
The Vyner Studio presents 10 selected artists with different approaches to photography in a collective exhibition. The explored themes include landscape, portraits and also abstract images by emerging talents living and working in London.
The Caravana, has partnered with The Vyner Studio for this particular exhibition. The represented artists by the international creative platform have been Mariell Amelie and Clare Lewis.
Participating Artists Dilshad Corleone Mariell Amélie David Geewai Ho Francisco Gomez de Villaboa Jesus Jimenez Patricia Karallis Clare Lewis Louise O’Gorman Marta Sanches Costa Nick Scaife
CONTENTS Original idea: The Vyner Studio Text: Anna RT Event Photographer: Vânia Rodrigues Graphic Design: Verogaral design studio Cover/Back image: Verogaral design studio
ART & DIGITAL CULTURE + CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Anna RT Anna RT is a designer and art historian specialised in Art and Digital Culture, as well as curator in New Media Art and Cultural Management 2.0. She is the author of several essays on Theory of Design and blog ‘Stories of Art’, born in 2010 as an educational blog on the History of Art and currently focuses on emerging contemporary art and digital culture. Participates as a ‘guest blogger’ in online participatory publishing project ARCO Bloggers, a contributing blogger on ‘Arctic’, a cultural center based in Uruguay 2.0, as an art critic in independent publishing ‘Absur2eal’ and as a reviewer and content management for web at ‘The Vyner Studio’. More info at: historiasdearte.blogspot.com @Txusks @articaonline
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Dilshad Corleone iPhoneographer
I specialise in street photography and Iove how everyday London can be such a great source of inspiration I walk, I look and I shoot. instacanv.as/italianbrother
Tell me a little about yourself. Where do you come from? How did you get to London? Why are you staying here? Ah! Where do I come from? From a beautiful sunny place, with its turquoise and emerald green sea… I was born in Somalia, long before all the trouble had started… I came to London when I was still a kid just because my parents decided to do so. I am of Indian origins and Italian background…Yes confusing. I live in London, which I consider home, together with Italy where I try to go as often as I can…
And what is your relationship with East London, these emerging area where the Photomonth Festival takes place? The East London area is one buzzing place, there is a particular rhythm around the via vai of people, which is just fantastic! So many cultures melting together, so many amazing places to go and even more so many incredible subjects to photograph, good God! I can find inspiration everywhere in East London! In the “Photo-Graph in East London” catalogue you appear as a “iPhonegrapher”. Tell me about the conceptual and aesthetic decisions behind this way of understanding Photography. It’s the fastest way and for me the best way to capture what I fall in love with! You can immediately tell a story! You see something, you shoot and you upload it! Boom! The world knows about it! Immediacy is the word! Aesthetically speaking, well, with the iPhone and the iPad I have a professional photostudio in my pocket, I can give any twist or turn to my photograph as I want and when I want to! The discussion about the photographic value in platforms like Instagram is very much alive. What is the your position as an artist that fits perfectly to into the digital environment? I love Instagram! I am a complete addict of IG. I am @italianbrother in IG and I have my fair bit of followers, who I utterly love! I always think what will they think when I post a certain photo. Instangram is also a great place for more inspiration, and to meet people that end up influencing my work! Richard Gray @rugfoot and Koci @ koci are one of these great iphoneographers that have helped me so much and have become very good friends of mine!
Could we say that the smartphone is in your street photography is what Leica was to Cartier-Bresson’s photojournalism? I wish we could say this!! What a comparison!! Bresson is one of my most admired photographers! He knew how to capture the soul of the people! And Yes he used something small! It would be absolutely impossible for me to do what I do, if I were to go out with a huge camera, I need to be quick, I need to be able to pull my device out and shoot and walk away, it takes seconds and everything is done and over! It is all about the gut feeling and Bresson rightly said: “To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.” I completely agree with this! What other references you would highlight? Any “iPhonegrapher”? Well as I have already mentioned Richard Gray @rugfoot, has helped me a lot!! A great friend!! I started his course a few months ago and without him I might not be writing this now! Another amazing Iphoneographer is Koci @koci!! I learn something new everyday from him! Amazing!
The photo shown in “Photo-Graph in East London”, like most of your work, reveals a great pictorialism. How do you get it? What is the intention from it? I guess, yes, you can say that my photos reveal a influence from the pictorialism movement. I have a very heavy hand when it comes to post processing… I need to give it a certain specific feel to it! I am fond of having my black and white street images look as if they were stuffed in an old shoebox for the last 30 years. Or that you looked down on the street and found an image that 100 people just stepped-on. I very much try to bring an analog feel to my digital images. I love the grunge, the dirt, the grit! I love the unspoken London, the untold London, with heavily blurred background! Men with big, long beards and hats! Characteristic and peculiar faces! I see, I shoot and I go! It is difficult to analyse the why behind my subjects, or to describe what are my favourite subjects. It is very much like when you fall in love and you feel the butterflies, yes, that is exactly how I feel when I see something that I want to shoot. Iphoneography and Street-photography has given me the power to tell my stories, what I see and what touches me!William Klein, once said: “I came from the outside, the rules of photography didn’t interest me... there were things you could do with a camera that you couldn’t do with any other medium... grain, contrast, blur, cock-eyed framing, eliminating or exaggerating grey tones and so on. I thought it would be good to show what’s possible, to say that this is as valid of a way of using the camera as conventional approaches.” That’s exactly how I feel!
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And finally, how do you feel about taking your photos out of the digital environment, and exhibiting them in the context of the Photomonth festival? LOVE IT!!!! More please! And a very heartfelt and special thanks to The Vyner Studio for the amazingly great Experience!
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
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Mariell Amélie
from La Caravana, Arte Itinerante
Mariell Amélie is a London-based photographer. Grew up on a small island, above the polar circle, in Northern Norway with her parents and a cat. www.mariellamelie.com
How do you reconcile this peaceful origin with London’s maelstrom? When I do my selfportraits I go back back to Norway. I find it hard to do my selfportraits in London because the buildings and locations is not like back home. The landscape and locations plays a big role in my portraits. Do you think the polarity your Norway island - London is translated in your work? After I moved to London my pictures changed a little bit. They look less naive and perhaps a little bit more cold. I miss my island when I am in London and I think that makes my feelings stronger as I am taking the pictures.
Both your commissioned work and your personal ones consist mainly of portraits with a poetic background. What’s behind this halo, this “non-presence”? I take pictures because I am not very good at painting or writing. It is my way of putting my feelings down to paper, and that is probably why my photos sometimes look a bit poetic. The titles in your works are very poetic too, “Untitled” is not your stuff? There is pretty much always a though behind all of my photos. I think a title makes the picture stronger and it makes people think more about what is actually going on in the picture.
What are the topics in your work? And some references? A lot of my pictures are about waiting.
The photography shown in “Photo-Graph in East London” is selfportraits that comprise your work. What is your working ritual? I go home to Norway about 3 times a year, this is when I try doing most of my self-portraits. I visit old buildings and I bring my dad to help me out most of the times, as I don’t drive myself and sometimes its good having a person to test-shoot on before I go in front of the camera myself. I do like being by myself when I actually take the picture though. Before a self-portrait-shoot I plan a few outfits and I have a few ideas, but never an actually planned shot. I have to feel the house or the landscape and see what would be right to do just there and then. Finally, what do you feel about exhibiting your work as part of this East London’s festival, an area often described as “emergent”? I love to put my work out there. The more people who see my work, the better!
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David Geewai Ho Synthesis project, 2012
Photography is my passion in life, it allows me to slow myself down, observe the world I live in and look at it with a renewed perspective and appreciation to the things that many of us might take for granted.
‘Synthesis ‘ is inspired by the symbiotic relationship between Man and Nature, in order to survive the dangers nature throws at you ( ranging from diseases, natural disasters, predators and pure inherent evil ) through sheer adversity Man has pushed forward, thrived, flourished and evolved to become stronger, ambitious and adaptable. Becoming a hybrid of sorts, synthesising with the primal forces that aim to harm us, he now overcomes these obstacles and harnesses the world we live in to shape into his own vision. geewaiho.blogspot.co.uk
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Tell me a little about your biography; your relationship with the British capital? And with East London, this emerging neighbourhood where the Photomonth Festival takes place? I was born in London and have lived here all my life but my parents are originally from China. I started to venture out to east london a few years back when I was a young student and east was fast becoming the place to be for all creative types to hang out, to see all the latest exhibitions, shows and events but I have never been a hardcore eastender and see myself more of a tourist these days ,venturing out to east only from time to time.
Do you think the environment shapes people and their works? How would you say that London is influencing yours? London is a great influence for me as it is a vibrant, multi cultural melting pot which exposes us to many people from different walks of life. That in turn makes you want to explore the world and immerse yourself to different cultures, other ways of living, and many types of art/design. In turn you become more conscious of the world and more importantly of yourself but I feel my work is not influenced by one particular thing, I am inspired by a myriad of many things which I might come across not just London. Apart from photography, you do crafts as well. Is there any relationship between these two fields of your work? My previous work combined elements of textiles and embroidery which I would then re-contextulised through photography, but I never use to take the photos my self only directing how I like the shot to be taken. I can be quite methodical and meticulous in how I work and having to rely on someone else to take my shots can prove quite frustrating as we don’t alway see things in the same way, therefore I decided to teach myself photography which in turn minimizes stress, time constraints and allows me full creative control.
Let’s focus on photography, what is it for you? Which are the main topics in your photographic work? Thats a tough question, I have only invested myself in photography for the past year so I feel that I am still finding my feet. In terms of my film work I try to approach photography like a painter or drawer, I just love the hands on approach of the creative process so I try to implement that with my film through countless layers /multiple exposures. Like a painter/drawer I add layer after layer to create a sense of depth and repetition to my work, giving it a more organic, experimental and richer aesthetic something which I find hard to do digitally and not so pleasing to the eye. Thats not to say I don’t love using digital cameras, about 90% of my work is digital.
When I am not experimenting with film, I generally love to shoot portraits and architecture. I feel having a camera really makes you stop and appreciate the world we live in. Living in London can be such a overwhelming and fast moving environment, with no time to breath. Photography has allowed me to slow down, and see the world with a re-newed persepctive. Its allowed me to see the beauty in things which we might all take for granted, like a new born baby opening its eyes for the first time and being fascinated by all the shapes and colors of its surroundings. Photography has renewed and instilled the passion in my life which I felt I had lost for quite some time. When references are concerned, are there any to highlight? None that come to mind
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
The photo shown in “Photo-Graph in East London” is taken from the series “Synthesis”, a kind of analysis of the relationship between humans and nature. Tell me a little more about the project. Synthesis was a very short project inspired by the symbiotic relationship between Man and Nature. How in order to live in this earth we have to withstand all the natural dangers and calamities that befall us - diseases, natural disasters, predators and pure inherent evil - No matter what we endure through sheer adversity we still persevere and pushed onwards, thriving, adapting to our environments and becoming stronger. Its as if in order to live on this world we are forced to evolve and earn the right to live on this earth by nature by becoming a hybrid of sorts, synthesizing with the very primal forces that aim to harm us so that we can overcome these obstacles and live! What do we find about David Geewai in the portraits of “Synthesis”? I guess it reflects my love and passion for photography, for film, for being creative and for self expression and that photography is more then just clicking a button, it can be just as time consuming, thought provoking and time consuming as any other medium. And finally, what do you think of exhibiting at this East London festival? It has been a lovely though brief experience and hope to do more shows in the near future! (C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
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Francisco Gomez de Villaboa Born in Cadiz (Spain) 1984 and based in London since 2009
Commissioned for various photography campaigns and projects such as: - Barbara Boner’s A/W 2012 Campaign, February 2012 - Cover and Editorial of Xauart Magazine, February 2012 - Ziad Ghanem’s Haute Couture Campaign, September 2011 - Covered shows at London and New York Fashion Week for magazines and PR agencies - Cover and Editorial of Cock no7. June 2011. www.gomezdevillaboa.com
How does a guy from Cadiz leave the sunny south; to install his basecamp in London? Well I know that Cadiz is the type of very memorable place that everyone talks highly about it and I must say that the quality of life and the people is amazing there. But as an artist I need to wide my mind and travel and learn much more discovering other cultures and techniques to develop myself and improve my work. I installed my basecamp in London because I have always wanted to come to such cosmopolitan city full of different people, I have being in many other places including New York and I can tell you that I rather London. In spite of this, I wouldn’t stay in London all my life, I would rather to travel more, see the world, keep learning and working around it and then.. lets see where I would end up. Is this double influence Cadiz – London reflected in your work? VERY MUCH! I wouldn’t say Cadiz only I would also say Andalucía. My series of pictures called Iconophilia is basically a representation of my catholic education and admiration for the Andalucía’s cultures and artist movements mixed up with my very different way to see the life. Furthermore I would say that the models selected to represent the icons of the religion are most of them Spanish and quite into in a underground/fashion world.
Concerning the Photomonth Festival, in East London, what does it mean to participate in a group exhibition as part of a festival like this? Well it is a real pleasure for me to exhibit in The Vyner Studio and have worked with them because they are such a professional people, easy to work with and flexible. And I loved to get involved in the theme they were proposing about exhibiting pictures related to east London and I loved cause all my work is related to it and the people who lives in there. About the Photomonth, last year I had my first solo exhibition and the releasing of my book as a part of the festival and this years I have one solo exhibition in Canary Warf (Idea store library) and two group ones (Uncertain States exhibition in Espacio Gallery and Vyner studios). I really think this festival is a great opportunity to show your work and learns observing from others photographers and assisting to talks and other activities. And this area of the city, what is your relationship with it? East London supposes several things for me at this time. Long time before I moved here I was visiting and hanging on in the east already. So when I moved here I wanted to stay on the heart of this very inspiring area. I have being living and working in Shoredich for almost three and I have studied in tower hamlets college during two years and I have actually got a family surrounded here. Sometimes I actually think is to good to keep on living here.
Your work is divided, mainly, into two groups of works, “art based” and those related with “fashion”. What type of work do you feel most comfortable with? My website is divided in that two sections, to make a bit more easier the navigation. I have a step into fashion but I do define myself as an art based photographer. I use my photography to express myself, my emotions, my dreams and any kind of ideas. All of these things are represented in my book and exhibitions.
It is important for a photographer to know yourself, your style and where is your goal. Many people on fashion get distracted by the luxury and the style, and photographers forget about the quality and meaning of their photography. I think is easy to get lost between a designer, a model, a stylist, a make up artist for example, and keep concentrated in the most important thing for a photographer.. Which is to reflect your style and your point of view. I’m not just a photographer looking forward to shoot someone else work to make mine more interesting. Nowadays with the digital era there are hundreds of photographer up for all of that and do it for free in everywhere, so whoever in art or fashion that want me to work with me has to understand and like my criteria.
Your fashion photography has high artistic content. What are the topics and the references for your work? Apart of what I explained before I must say that I am obsessed this the style of the painter of the renaissance and baroque. I always say that is because of the paintings I grew up with in my childhood in Cadiz. I always feel more inspired by painter that for photographers. I have always felt something magical in the mythology, gods and that divine and magical status that involve taking pictures like this. You have to make the model feel that there all that character. You have to transport them to that dimension to get what they need, that is why I use people that I meet instead to agency model. Because I know which model is gonna give me what I need in each portrait and because I don’t want to make my pictures commercial just with a pretty face. So in that fashion side of my website I keep using the same procedure or protocol that I use in my art based pictures.
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The photography you show in “Photo-Graph in East London” is really pictorial, what do you search for the create this aesthetic? Before I become photographer I studied a degree in graphic design in 2002 and I worked for 5 years and El Diario de Cadiz, so I have being very into digital since I use to play with my computer with 13 years, so I went very straight for the digital photography, later I learnt about shooting on film and developing my pictures with chemicals in the dark room. All this made me grow up so much more as a photographer to, and more focused in the art base photography. O I decide to combine all this work with alternative way for digital printing so I started procession my digital pictures with Chemicals and I experiment with cyanotypes. Cooper color process, salt an silver and different ink process that you can add to you prints.
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
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Jesus Jimenez Working in photography, video and installation, I have found my inspiration in a personal obsession for the order, the trace and the object. Playful and inventive, my ideas may stem from a desire to mold a particular material or object – from hand dryers or dead leaves to painting – with which I explore my relation with the World. Inspired in nanotechnology, and quantum physics images this particular creative body of work is about painting for the camera the action painting on a particular canvas is digitized, and then edited to create just a photograph. The intention is to appeal to open answers and questions from the audience, not only for the situations in front of the camera, but also for the ideas behind the camera. www.jesusjimenez.com
Original from Mexico, you’ve stayed in the United States, Spain, France and finally you’ve installed in London. What makes the British capital so special? London is one of the most international and global places in the Earth. This City is so special not only for being hub for the creative industries, but also inspiring ground to create and produce. And East London, what is your relationship with this emerging area? East London represents the area where I have lived, worked, and produced. The works of art that are related with London were produced mainly in East London it is a very personal area for myself.
What is the translation of these cultures into your multidisciplinary work? My work is “cosmopolaire” its multidisciplinary and multitransactional it echoes all the cultures I have experienced. I want to produce not local but global with regional raw materials. I am a citizen of the world, and in this respect I hope my work reflects this multidisciplinary feeling too. You work is in photography, video, installation and in painting. How does a so versatile artists understand thier work of art? Photography is the common denominator to my work. I flirt with all practices, but I use photography as the tactical angular piece to contain and to expand at the same time. The image in my work is very important, so as it is now in the world we live in a world with multiple practices, and cultures but the image works as one of the core concepts in our contemporary society the personal artistic goal is to reflect this and more things. What are the topics and references in your work? Poetry, music, food, design, philosophy, and intellectual essay are my mine references. I love lectures and conferences about art, but I am also fan of dialogue and talks sadly in this period of time and even with digital revolution it is hard to find the last. Conceptual art, and minimal art are also part of my references.
The work you show in The Vyner Studio’s group exhibition is part of a series called “Studies for paintings” in which you merge painting, photography and digitally edited work. How did this idea start? It started while I was trying to paint to share the original studies for painting I decided to digitized them and shared them with friends and colleagues I was very happy with the action paintings, so when I sent the e-mail with some images in some cases I was attracted not by the original painting but with the digital image of the painting finally I decided to experience more and practice more in both directions with painting itself and with the digital painting. Tell me about some projects in which you merge different artistic techniques. You can find Chaosmosis in youtube a performance at the Grim Museum in Berlin in 2011 where I merged photography, performance, drawing, and sculpture. But in general I always juxtapose different artistic techniques to produce a final piece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-z00jRjXOQ In conclusion, what are the opportunities of exhibiting as part as the Photomonth Festival? I am happy to show for the very first time “Studies for Painting”. I believe Photomonth Festival is a good window to show this new work.
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Patricia Karallis On The Cusp
Transgender is a term that was first used by Virginia Prince, a leading American transgender activist during the 60s through to the 80s. The term was later used to refer to all transgressions of gender categories including, but not limited to, ‘butch’, ‘fairies’ or ‘queens’, heterosexual cross dressers, as well as transvestites and transsexuals. The term has since become an umbrella term to cover a collective of individuals who don’t conform to traditionally accepted norms of gender identity or behavior. Alongside this, many documentary photographic portraits that deal with transgender issues exploit the genders of their subjects, pointing to an Otherness or eroticising their bodies. My main prerogative in On The Cusp, is in dispelling stereotypes; therefore, photographing the sitters in their own environment (their home or somewhere they feel comfortable) contrasts with the dehumanising approach that dominate images made of transgender people, which often focuses solely on their gender or transstatues, or uses them to further a specific point about social construction and gender. As part of this project, I invited people who identify as transgender to take part in shaping its outcome and to sit as models for the production of the work. By having the photographs taken in the sitters home and in their everyday attire, it strips them of any signifiers attached to common stereotypes – these are everyday people in everyday environments. www.patriciakarallis.com
What happened to an Australian girl, from the small Mildura, that moved 6 years ago to London, and why have you stayed? The plan was for me to stay for a year but I somehow managed to live here on a more permanent basis. I’ve always had a love/ hate relationship with London; it’s the type of city where there’s a lot to take advantage of culturally - that is, if you have enough money to take advantage of it, but overall it’s quite tough. The weather is generally pretty bad, people can be quite moody, but when things start falling into place (as they slowly do), there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. It’s definitely a city that pushes you and I don’t think I would’ve gone back to photography if I hadn’t moved here. And what do you think about the emerging East London, what is your relationship with it? I don’t think East London is emerging - it has been a creative, cultural hub for some time. I think my decision to live here initially was a financial one. I’ve lived in Clapton, Hackney, for around 6 years; one of the largest but also most deprived boroughs of the city. Hackney as a whole is very multicultural and on top of this you have a rich creative scene, so it’s a real mix and the influence can be seen everywhere. This environment has definitely influenced me to stay in this area, I love it here.
Do you think that an artists environment shapes their works? Do you think the relationship between Mildura – London is influencing yours? I think environment shapes an artists work to a degree. Being in London has definitely exposed me to new people, experiences and influences I wouldn’t normally have had the opportunity to in Australia, which has helped me to focus on what type of photographer I want to be. For me, the relationship between the 2 cities and my relationship with them both is completely different, however I feel that my aesthetic is still the same. Your photography is the intimate result of merging documentary work and portraits, how do you do this? Lots of shooting and lots of editing.
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And, if you had to tell me the topics and references of your work, what would you say to me? I guess you could say I’m usually drawn to themes surrounding identity, culture and/ or class. The majority of the portraits on my sites are friends, family, or people I’ve met during different projects. I love Lise Sarfati’s portraits and she was a major influence on my last series On The Cusp. I love the feel of her photographs, they’re quite cinematic and I like the fact that she uses film and natural light; this is an aesthetic I also prefer when shooting portraits. There’s a sense of loneliness and maybe yearning in her photographs that I really connect with. I also love the work of Paul Graham. I went to see his retrospective show at The Whitechapel Gallery last year and it blew me away. How does the analogue photography for your portraits tie together? I love the richness, the grain and the colours of shooting film, as opposed to digital. I have a couple of portraits on my site that were taken with digital and for me, they stand out. I think what generally ties my portraits together is the tone and warmth of the photographs. Let’s focus in “On the Cusp”, the series which is shown in “PhotoGraph in East London”. Where does the magnetism of these characters reside? On The Cusp was my degree final year project. I wanted to focus on a particular subject that I think is very relevant but sometimes shunned or difficult for people to understand. I also wanted to approach it in a new, different way. People who identify as transgendered have often been sexualised or portrayed with the use of stereotypes and cliches. I wanted to move away from that by having the portraits taken in each sitters home and in clothes they feel comfortable wearing day to day, with the final outcome hopefully being an open and honest discussion with people of all sex, gender and preferences. I think this is what initially draws people in; these are everyday people in everyday environments. And finally, what do you think of exhibiting your work as part of a festival like Photomonth? It’s great to have been involved in a show during Photomonth and thanks to Iker at The Vyner Studio for inviting me.
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
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Clare Lewis
from La Caravana, Arte Itinerante
Clare Lewis is a visual artist who works in a range of mediums as a sculptor, creating site-specific installations and as a photographer and video maker. Concerned with transition, particularly the passage from life to death, her current work explores the areas of the threshold and the ‘Liminal’ - a psychological or metaphysical intermediate state characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy. “I am interested in external places where transitions take place and also the effect of transition upon our internal psychological spaces during the journey we make as individuals within our life passage.” Through haunting images of urban and rural scenes, she evokes a sense of fleeting personal memories, combining in a wider reflection of a Sublime universal landscape. The transitory nature of her work offers a range of experience: a sense of suspension, anxiety and loss, or converse feelings of discovery and enlightenment in the human traces observed in the spaces we travel through. Focusing on snapshot moments of time, she contrasts the fragile and transitory nature of life experience against an unseen eternal continuum, offering a reflection on the flux and flow of life, its beauty and fragility and the possibility of transcendence www.clare-lewis.co.uk
You’re one of the few native English artists in this group exhibition. How would you define the relationship between the city, your artworks and yourself? My work reflects both the urban & rural environments i travel in.
And, what about East London? which is your relationship with this multicultural area of the city? As an artist i have had several shows in East London, as there are some amazing spaces to exhibit in.
I’ve asked for your artworks because appart from being an artist, you have experience in antique art restoration. How does a restorer start a multidisciplinary artistic production? Do these two activities feed each other? My practice is concerned with transition particularly the transitory and fragile nature of life. My work as a gilder and restorer is with gold, a transition metal which intimates a much more enduring experience. Sculpture, installation, photography and video, do they complement each other? Which of these techniques do you feel the most comfortable? I use whichever medium best reflects the ideas i am working with. However i am really excited about recent sculptural work suspending photographs in substances which break down.
What references would you highlight for the inspiration of your work? Gilles Deleuse, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Caspar David Friedrich
Is the most common theme in your work a kind of absence, possibly created by the lack of characters. Is this a kind of motif? My work aims to evoke in the viewer, an experience of the “ Liminal” or the space in-between. Themes of loss and lack of clarity of perception are some of the feelings that can be aroused in my images and the liminal. The photograph shown in “Photo-Graph in East London” is from a series called, precisely, “The Space In-Between”. What does “Space In-Between” exactly mean? As we move from one distinct state we enter a threshold, where we are neither in one place or another, this is where the Space In-between exists. A place of great possibilities! To take part in this exhibition, as part of Photomonth Festival, how do you seen it helping your art? I think exhibiting work in a gallery’s “in-between” space can lead to all sorts of possibilities. I am delighted that so many people get to see my work and perhaps engage with the images and reflect for themselves.
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Louise O’Gorman The Ghost of Camila
Louise O’Gorman is a London based photographer and this personal portrait project is a series of photographs inspired by the story of Camila O’Gorman. Camila was a wealthy Argentine socialite of Irish, Spanish and French origin. She became a figure of scandal in 19th century Argentina when she was 19 years old. Her crime had been to fall in love and elope with a Jesuit priest. She was 20 years old and eight months pregnant when she was executed by a firing squad on the 18th of August 1848 in Buenos Aires. Her murder was recorded as the most atrocious and unlawful act at the time in Argentina.
This series of photographs was shot in the country house once owned by Camila’s brother in Tigre, a town outside Buenos Aires. The project evolved from some research into the shared Irish surname and the meeting with the current owners of the house during 2010 while Louise was living in Argentina. The house at Tigre is known to be the house where Camila’s brother resided after her execution. It is rumoured that Camila’s burial remains may lie somewhere in the grounds of this historical house. During a series of visits to the house and using herself as a subject Louise evokes the ghost of Camila through these haunting images. www.louiseogorman.com
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How does an Irish girl who left her island more than 15 years ago to establish herself in England, face this sort of dual citizenship? I studied a degree in photography in the uk and spain, as I wanted the experience of studying in a different country after college in Ireland. I ended up staying in england when I graduated. Although England is now my home, I still feel very much irish !
After more than 10 years working as a freelance artist in London, you have closely seen the East London gradually transform. Which is your personal point of view of the emerging area? I moved to hackney about 7 years ago . I was initially attracted to the area for its diverse multiculturalism, thriving grassroots arts community and off course being an artist, its cheap rent also played a big part. For these reasons it has always been a place for attracting artists, little did I know at the time that it would became the hub of the London art scene. During my time living in Hackney , I have also spent time working abroad and every time I return, I have noticed the changes, some more radical than others. there has been a lot of commercialisation, soaring property prices and gentrification to mention a few. these changes have also led to more galleries, restaurants and bars in the area, many of whom are driven by a desire to shape the continually developing and thriving creative community. Thankfully a large proportion of the population in the area express themselves through art, keeping hackney’s individual identity and arts community alive. I feel lucky to have settled in hackney and feel part of its community.
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During these years you’ve portrayed Colombian displaced communities, Argentine slum children, Indian washer men, Lebanese “childrens villages”, life on Madrid balconies, prisoners in England and Wales, Staten Island ferry passengers,... Do you have any new destination in your mind? I have many new destinations in mind.. but it depends on where the work takes me next...
How do you think this constant movement influences your artwork? Each place i visit evokes something different in me, I have no restrictions on what i photograph, and this leads me to producing a completely different body of work each time. When it comes to topics and references, how would you define your work? All of the ideas for my personal projects have emerged after spending some time in that new place. I almost never work to a brief and never have a fixed idea of how the work will develop.
(C)Vânia Rodrigues , Event Photographer
Let’s talk about “Camila”, the original series of the photographS you showED in “Photo-Graph in East London”. How was this ghostly project born? Whilst studying spanish and working in Buenos Aires, I came across the story of Camila , a famous romantic heroine from the 19th century. Sharing an irish background an the same surname as my own, her story evoked great interest and fascination for me. Camila was shot by a firing squad at the age of 20 whilst 8 months pregnant with the man (a catholic priest) that she eloped with. She was incarcerated and used as an example of going against the moral authority of the dictatorial governor at the time. Due to our shared surname i was fortunate to attract interest from the owner of one of her old family homes where there were rumours that her ghost lingers. I made many trips and spent many days in the house where i put myself in her place and played the ghost of camila in this family home. Would you say that’s one of your most personal projects? Yes, it is a project very close to my heart, for many reasons.
And finally, what does it mean to exhibit as part of a festival like Photomonth? I am a big fan of photomonth, but have mostly been away when it has been happening. It is exciting to take part in it and to feel part of the community again.
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Marta Sanches Costa I was born in Lisbon, Portugal where I did my first photography course at Ar.Co (Centre for Art & Visual Communication). In 2002 I moved to the UK to continue my studies and graduated from Napier University in Edinburgh in 2006 with a BA (Hons) in Photography, Film & Imaging. In 2007, in order to pursue my photographic career I moved to London, where I live and work. I first started assisting photographers and working in studios. Since then I have worked in several areas mainly in product and fashion photography. The art collective Not Dead Yet was founded by myself and two other photographers and now has seven members of different art mediums. Together we have had three exhibitions in London. I also have a joint project with another photographer who is based in Berlin and in late 2010 we had a show about the two cities. In 2011, I was one of the selected artists for the first edition of The Other Art Fair in London. www.martasanchescosta.com
From Lisbon to Edinburgh, and from Edinburgh to London... How does your work reflect these three cities? I’m not sure it reflects the three cities, but I can tell my work has gone in different directions. I would say that has more to do with me growing up and how I see things differently according to the various stages of my time away from what was familiar to me. In Lisbon, I felt comfortable and it was home but my photographs worked mainly on aesthetic purposes. In Edinburgh, I felt a bit lost and did mostly work about my beliefs and more gender based. Also I was at university and felt an immense pressure to do well. It was a time to experiment although I only really started feeling confident once I wasn’t linked to an institution. London has been the most liberating time of my photography and I believe it’s a reflection of my private life too. My work has since become more intimate and personal.
At an artistic level, what is your perception of the British capital and, more specifically, of emerging East London? I was always curious about living in London and had this idea that it would be a place where I could be myself and not have to explain why I do what I do. When I mean me, I mean anyone. I feel that people are less judgmental and that people are more accepting. I find this to be a unique quality to a city when it comes to art. There is space for all types of art and East London seems to be the place where so much art is being made and shown.
In London you’ve collaborated with two other photographers a collective of artists called “Not dead yet”, with whom you’ve done many international exhibitions. How was this project born? Not Dead Yet started as a way to motivate each other to continue photographing. Together with two friends and former university classmates, we thought it would be a good idea to show our work and talk about it as we did when studying. We met every couple of weeks to discuss our personal projects in order to improve them and to later organise an exhibition. A year later we were joined by other artists of different mediums but we never worked collectively. The collective was more as a force of motivation to keep doing work and exhibit it. It’s been a couple of years since we have exhibited together but we had three exhibitions in London in the space of 3 years. However I have been part of other group exhibitions not related to any collectives of artists. What are the advantages of working collectively? As I was saying previously, we worked individually even though we met up to discuss work and exhibitions. For the photographers like myself, even though we work individually, the after thought is quite important. The process of testing and seeing your projects take shape is something that us, three photographers, found important. When we were joined by the other artists they worked more individually and privately therefore we stopped meeting up to discuss ongoing projects.
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Nick Scaife ‘The last photos’
There have been many last photos, but somehow there’s always been one more. One sad day there will be a last photo of us all. Born 1984.
Nick graduated from Newcastle University in 2006 with a BA hons in Marketing and Management, and in 2011 with a Foundation Degree in Professional Photography from City of Westminster College. Nick is currently employed as a photographer for internationally renowned fashion store coggles.com www.nickscaifephotography.com
You have series of photographs taken in Armenia, Istanbul, South India... Have these environments shaped the way you understand photography? Yes, I think every environment i work in shapes my understanding of photography. Armenia was an interesting trip for me as I have some Armenian heritage and an interesting family history from the region. I traveled there to get a feel for the place and to develop some ideas with a view to starting a long term project out there in the new year. Your best known work is, probably, the “Street Fashion” archive for Coggles.com. Tell me a secret: what is the key style? It’s as much about the person than the clothes they are wearing. I’m not looking for the latest trends but for people that turn my head without me really having to think twice about it. I try and look for individuality, a sense of character, and people who look completely comfortable in what they are wearing. Forcing a look for the sake of being on trend doesn’t make for a good outfit or a good photograph.
And where are the characters you portray from? Is London a perfect location? The people I photograph are from all over the world, creating a really diverse range of styles and influences that probably makes London the street style capital of the world. 75% of my shots from London are probably taken in Soho as its probably London at its most diverse. Has this kind of “street fashion photography” influenced your personal work? I tend to try and simplify all my street style images, looking for clean and complementary backgrounds to let the person stand out in the frame, although its not always possible in a city as busy as London.. I guess my personal work also aims to be fairly stripped back as i think less is often more with photography (although I’m challenging myself to think a bit differently with regards to this at the moment) so it has probably had some sort of influence on my personal work.
Which are your references? I really admire The Sartorialist and The Locals (formally Copenhagen street style). Both blogs are right on it in terms of style and aesthetic.
In spite of this passion for style, the photograph shown at “Photo-Graph in East London” is taken from a personal work called “The last photos”. What are these “last photos”? There was a point when I thought I had taken the last photo of someone very special to me, someone who I’d taken hundreds, if not thousands of photos of before. These last images therefore attained a much greater significance to me than perhaps their individual qualities deserved, and really got me thinking theoretically about photography in quite an unintentional and natural way. The project has subsequently developed because my relationship with the subject of the series has improved significantly. As such the series is a work in progress and has become more of a diary of our time spent together, but of course there will eventually be a last photo of all of us, which is a terribly sad thought, and one that raises more questions about photography’s purpose and ability. What does it mean for you to exhibit a personal work under the Photomonth Festival? It’s a privilege to be able to exhibit some personal work at The Vyner Studio and to be part of Photomonth, with the potential to reach a wider audience than is usually possible. It’s a big festival and people have a lot to see, but hopefully the work has resonated with a few people at least.
How does a “fashion photographer” like you see the emerging East London? I’m relatively new to the city and don’t have a great understanding of east London’s history and current state to talk too confidently about this, but there’s a definite Commercialisation of east London that is kind of depressing to watch. But the area is still london’s cultural heartbeat and a place that is inspiring and creating many new artists, musicians and entrepreneurs, Which makes it a genuinely exciting place to be.