By 'craziest', this is not to say 'funny', I would probably say an email I got from a man who talked to me like a prostitute. He asked me how much it would cost to get spanked for an hour. I replied, scorning humorously his sad attitude to female artists. He just carried on, turned on by anything I said. Needless to say, I blocked his address.
What's your favorite self portrait? Why?
I have a few, and they change over time, but if I had to pick one that has consistently fascinated me and made me proud every time I view it, I would say 'Spin cycle'.
This is a multiplicity portrait using two figures. It was a quick photoshoot, I did it one morning in a flat I was staying in overnight. I wanted to get it done before anyone came back to the flat, so I was rushing it. I didn't have a tripod, I just put my camera on the floor and propped it up with the lens cap (and ironically got its great, unusual, 'worm's eye' view). Took some shots and didn't think I would be able to make anything of them. But two of them fitted together really nicely. Like someone commented on Flickr, the picture 'doesn't follow any rules, but works'. The composition is strange. There are no 'thirds' and no main subject. But the processing made the colours of the skin and cupboard so rich, and the slight vignetting pulled it together. The angle makes the legs look surreally long and sexy. And the addition of the washing in the machine, which I did digitally, set off the feel of the pic, the feeling of motion, and made the narrative more believable, as it seemed as if I were waiting for the spin cycle to finish.
Another image that I am very pleased with is South by Southeast:
It is not a composite and not multiplicity, and for this reason, I love its simplicity. It is like nothing else in my portfolio. That one shot, from all the shots taken in the same shoot, that one moment, had something magical about it, once I changed it to b/w on Photoshop. Myself sat on that windy banal hill became a movie still. I love the way I look - somehow like a 50s movie star. That one random shot became a masterpiece in my eyes; most definitely an 'unplanned baby'. It was very popular on Flickr too, like Spin Cycle.
You have to be pretty confident to showcase yourself the way you do, what advice do you have for someone struggling with their identity?
I gave a presentation on self portraiture at my university's photo society the other week and it was interesting to see how inextricable, to me, self portraiture is from the advent of the 'myspace' phenomenon and the blogging world; and how those go hand in hand also with the new possibilities of digital photography. Starting amateur is a great thing because one's passion comes first, before expensive equipment and studios - using one's own environment and indeed oneself as a model can have so much more intriguing results as opposed to acquiring the knowledge and the equipment before everything else. So - I encourage people to use their own environments, and use themselves as models even, so that their passion for image-making comes first, and not to fret about getting camera settings right. To me, as long as an image is in focus, it is the concept of the pic, and the imagination used, that is more important. My knowledge on the technical aspects of working a camera are actually appalling, of course that's not to say everyone should be like me, but I encourage people to experiment and use trial and error, and not feel as if photographic 'rules' are gospel. The same goes for Photoshop processing - go with the flow, don't get your head stuck in manuals - use manuals only as you would use a foreign dictionary, dip in and out. Keep hands-on. Be inspired by other artists but always develop ideas from your own imagination, never feel you have to reproduce a conventional image (such as the typical sunset landscape other than to 'get started'. Be different, play with the rules, play with Photoshop. Accept advice, but never let anyone tell you 'what' to do, or that you are doing something 'wrong'. Photography is an art, not a science, and certain people's motives for giving you 'direction' can be down to their own insecurities or a desire to overpower.
As for self portraiture itself, I'd encourage artists to experiment as much as possible, to 'back off' from the camera and go beyond the 'mug shot' (where you hold the camera in front of you at arm's length). This is not only limiting but gives very unflattering angles! Get new locations, at other people's houses, spots in the countryside etc. Use a prop or item of clothing to get you started thinking about a possible portrait. Go to a second hand shop and aim to find one thing to spark off an idea. Don't plan too tightly, let ideas flow all the way through the process, from the photography itself right through the post-processing.
As a self taught artist, do you feel you lack any of the technical skills of a trained photographer?
That is an interesting question (like all of these questions!) As I definitely encourage people to teach themselves, I should call into question the disadvantages, too, of this method. I would say that being taught 'professionally' would discipline someone into getting more done quickly, speed up the whole learning process, and keep them going. In my case however, I feel that being 'taught' would put me off, would make the art feel more like a chore, and limit how free I feel. It is my own passion for the visual that has always driven me.
However, in my case, I do feel guilty about the many gaps in my technical knowledge of photography, especially the science of the camera itself. There will also be gaps in my knowledge of Photoshop. However, there's little that can't be solved by a self-teaching book, and a bit of time and patience! I would also love to set up a makeshift home studio with what I have picked up from magazines. In direct answer to the question then, I would say yes. But that lack is not something I would swap over in exchange for my delight and passion in photography that to me comes naturally.
As an artist, where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I want to have exhibited at a few places, building up an impressive art CV. I want to increase the price tag on my limited editions and be recognised as an artist by, for example, publishers who compile books on modern art and self-photography. I want to have broadened my horizons with lots of different photographic projects and be confident to be commissioned for a shoot of a model for money, but selling myself as a certain type of artist whose style is distinguished and specially chosen by that client. I hope all that makes sense! I have no idea if photography will pay the bills, but I don't mind if not, as long as I can keep doing what I do, and be able to say that I am making a progression in terms of generally being discovered by more and more viewers, collectors, journalists and publishers, etc.
I also just want to meet more artists, share my work more, and strengthen my love of the female self portrait - one day I would love to set up an organisation or gallery helping and showcasing other photographic female self portrait artists, and generally empowering the notion of the female eye, and the female mind, in a traditionally male-dominated art world.
Are there any other upcoming photographers that you feel we should be on the look-out for?
Yes, the photographer who simply spellbinds me is Bogna Kuczerawy ('Quizz') who is at www.flickr.com/photos/quizz/. Though she is yet to enter the physical art world (which she most definitely deserves to) she gets lots of attention on Flickr at least, so another artist who has amazing talent and originality, also Polish, who should be noticed much more is 'Oladios', first name Ola, www.flickr.com/photos/oladios/. These are both self portrait artists. Ola has a masterly technique of using her cats in her photos, and her 'photos', in their magnificent use of light, look more like paintings. Bogna's masterpieces are also magnificently processed and she proves that expensive equipment does not guarantee great images. It is her imagination and exquisite processing skills that are rare and fantastic. As well as self portraits, she does landscapes and people shots, always looking like they have been taken in another world.
