Alexey Shumentsov is a young photographer with a special Northern vision. We had a conversation about his art a day ago.
- There is an incredible graphic plasticity and subtlety. You used to dance, didn’t you?
- When I was young I practiced ball-room dancing, but not for long, so can’t say it influenced me much. Its just nature I guess, I can stretch easily without preping.
- And… What do you do to earn?
- Now its photography, video filming and montage. I was educated as video director so I always earned money doing montage. I have been doing photography for 10 years now. For a long time i just didn’t make it as my primary source of income, left it as clean art for myself.
- I know, you moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Tell me please, what was wrong with the North capital? What are your hopes now?
- Its simple. My friend Roman Okin decided to move to Moscow to develop the business faster. We do a Prime Time video project together so i just followed him. I adore St. Petersburg for its unique atmosphere and of course I’ll be back visiting.
- I was amazed by your intimate self-portraits. What do you feel, when you take pictures of yourself?
- its kind of a trance really – you feel the concept of time fading, and at the same time I get to be right here right now – in the moment. U feel endless inspiration while you photograph, but if there is something wrong with light or composition you wont capture any of that inspiration in the pictures. I treat it as material. Like plasticine, you got to model it.
- And can you easily provoke a model for a bright shocking shoot?
- I just hate when it becomes all pretentious and untrue. When we made the drunk girl session, it was real cognac, nothing fake. That’s why i dont like studios much. Its all empty space. I need real textures.
- Is it easier to work with men or women? With usual people or stars?
- I don’t care of gender. When its caprice I consider the person as not professional. Sometimes i refuse their participation even before we start work, but i believe i can find the way for anyone.
- Do you need to be in a special mind set to have a great photo session? And what can crash your inspirational drive?
- Usually i drink a lot of strong black tea. For me inspiration is just the wanting itself. If its there – almost nothing can distract me. Maybe “force major” type only.
- Do you think you are fashionable?
- Fashion is so ephemeral, people give up things they were obsessed with only three month ago. If you are really interested its seen. Its important for me to do what i like and the way i see it – I don’t know if its fashionable or not. I’d rather create tendencies than following them.
- And were will the future lead your boldness as a photographer?
- I want to go on doing cinematic photo-sets, the ones that tell stories. Videos – kind of dinamic photographs, videoinstallations.
- What or who inspires you?
- I have some favorite photographers, Steven Klein is one of them. I love him for that scandalous style and for seeing celebrities as ordinary people. Music – I love Bjork, Portishead, Massive Attack. Movies – Lynch, Hitchcock, Tarkovsky.
Alexey’s flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geniy/
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 3:26 pm and is filed under persona, photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.