1. In what way does your work in this show relate to its theme of Spidering, the updating of networks?
Our show theme is about updating indexes and perceptions. Estello has been a way for me to photograph things that I have done and places I have been. The photos are more than just “I was here.” They allow me to play and interact with a place, to create stories and make a claim on these places. It’s my way of updating and indexing these places. It’s a way of sharing these stories.
2. In what direction do you see your work moving after Tokyo Spidering?
I have a lot of Estello books to finish. I have a stop motion animation in the works and another character I’d like to develop. I also do landscape and street photography and I’m keen to start shooting again.
3. How did you choose the medium in which you work?
I started out wanting to do stop motion animation but I like the combination of reality with creations so I really enjoy the still photos. I think with digital things being easier to use, it’s a lot easier to analog-type things like stop motion animation. The various ways you can mix analog and digital processes now fascinates me. The large illustrations are Adobe Illustrator.
4. Which artists have been your greatest influence?
Photographers: (in no paraticular order)
f69 group Ansell Adams, Imogen Cunningham and Edward Weston
Erwitt Elliot: I love everything he does but particularly his dog photos.
Ihei Kimura: his photos of Tohoku are great. Similar aesthetic to Atget.
Eugene Atget: rainy Paris streets and a dreamy world in a real one.
Pentti Sammallahti: I just discovered this Finnish photographer at Tokyo Photo 2013.
Gregory Crewdson: His collection called Twilight is like Estello but with real people on large scale.
Artists/ Illustrators (in the order I experienced them)
E.H. Shephard: illustrated Winnie the Pooh. The illustrations he did of piglet have stayed with me my whole life
Quentin Blake: illustrated books are a great love of min. Blake did many of Roald Dahl’s books. His hilarious images never fail to make me laugh.Iit is surprisingly hard to draw like Quentin Blake. I have tried.
Alphonese Mucha: Magical, sense of fantasy, he inspired my love of art nouveau.
Tim Burton: He does a lot of stop motion animation. He has a certain aesthetic I find interesting. Reminds me of Quentin Blake.
Wallace and Grommit creator Nick Park: I think Aardman does some of the best stop motion animation.
John Picacio: illustrates fanatasy and science fiction books. I don’t just like his images. I follow his blog and it’s inspiring to see how hard he works.
5. Describe your sketchbook:
Sketchbook? No, sketchbooks! I was trying to keep one sketchbook per project, but I have a lot going on at once so I ended up having too many different books. And somehow, when inspiration strikes I’m often without a sketchbook so I will draw on whatever. I’m trying to consolidate the books or keep a file of the
Tokyo Spidering 