Jordan Tate, a Fulbright scholar and artist with some very interesting work of his own, contacted me for a little Q+A about my most recent book, Gray Days, which he posted at his blog “I Like This Art.”
Here’s an excerpt:
Jordan: There were a few things that specifically drew me to the work, and I was wondering if maybe I could ask some vague questions that could get us somewhere productive. One of the aspects that drew me into the work was the film-specific aesthetic, not in the use of grain or color palate or any sort of preferential film v. digital usage, but in the inherent acknowledgment of photographic process evident in processing marks, chemical stains, and light leaks. Quite possibly, I am sensitive to this sort of treatment because of a strong conceptual interest in medium-specific contexts and self-reflexive works, but regardless, it brought me in.
In some ways this is what interests me about contemporary Dutch photography, but their aesthetic sometimes balks at formal composition or thematic cohesion in a way that I find less appealing than your work. It was also the use of diptych that I found interesting, with some images paired and some left alone, yet still organized in book form. Were the pairings mostly formal, organic, trail and error type of diptychs (I view them this way rather than recto-verso) until something felt right, or was there any sort of conceptual narrative to how the book is structured?
Ian: I’ve been very interested in the physical manifestations of photographic process – though perhaps more in a metaphorical or purely aesthetic sense, instead of a technical one. They tend to represent a shift in how I felt about photographing in general – embracing of fear, acceptance of failure, perhaps – and I’ve written a fair amount along those lines. Maybe you saw the article published in ahorn magazine? Here’s the link: On Fear And Photography
While an art student, I had many debates with my teachers about the “right” and “wrong” of creating images. Phrases like “underexposed” irked me, because of their inference of a “proper” exposure. To me, the “correct” exposure would always be the version of the image that had the emotional impact that reached me the most. Often times that would be the image at the end of the roll, or the one with the light leaks, or the one four stops underexposed. When I showed these to teachers out of context, they were almost always under appreciated, but I think after several months editing, they were allowed to be what they were.
He very kindly edited it together without a lot of our interim banter, and it may be a fairly clear presentation of my ideas on the project, which I haven’t done very often since I’m not finished with it yet. All feedback is of course appreciated! I’m working on the final text now so I can release with the blurb book contest.
zachary comment on July 7, 2009 4:09 pm:
“Phrases like “underexposed” irked me, because of their inference of a “proper” exposure. To me, the “correct” exposure would always be the version of the image that had the emotional impact that reached me the most.”
That also drove me crazy. Its understandable to teach the general idea of “proper exposure” in a beginners course, but I was expecting a lot more freedom with the more advanced classes I took, and that usually was never the case. Even more annoying was that one of my teachers (Amy Blakemore)–who is having a solo show at the MFAh–shot entirely with a Holga.
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Ian Aleksander Adams reply on July 7th, 2009 4:13 pm:
yeah, I was lucky enough to have teachers who really got it by my final couple years. It took a while to get to that point though, it seems I had to prove myself first, which is understandable.
some teachers never got it at all though, they’d flip through the book and only see technical issues, never letting themselves exist within in it in more than the shallowest manner.
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dstrohl comment on July 10, 2009 8:07 pm:
100% agree. It’s funny, at school, I was all about technical excellence. Fighting the Holga in Intermediate class was one of the more frustrating experiences of my education. (For the record, I rocked that shit…still some of my best prints to date…)
Through experience, I have learned to embrace all the organic side-effects of the process. I love me some blurry, light leaked, scratched, dusty images. (and yes, I realize it’s not that simple, but I like generalizing.) Check out my girlfriend veronica’s recent work. She has been doing some interesting things, especially with color treatments…
Also, two things.. One, I have resuscitated my blog , and would love for you and whoever else to join in…
lastly, V and I are coming to Savannah on sunday and would love to hang out/get a drink or four/ or whatever… (I love inappropriately having personal conversations in a public forum…)
cheers,
David
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Ian Aleksander Adams reply on July 10th, 2009 8:22 pm:
I’m glad you’re filling your life with love right now, or at least loving lots of things in this comment, haha
Definitely, give me a call, you have my number (if you don’t, it’s right to the left.) We can do a double date or something.
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dstrohl reply on July 10th, 2009 8:43 pm:
WOW, that IS a whole lotta love! I should stop drinking before I write comments on blogs, it makes me sound like a crazy person.
Here’s to proofreading…
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Ian Aleksander Adams reply on July 11th, 2009 1:08 am:
haha, no worries man, I liked it. :)
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