AN INTERIVEW WITH ARTIST MELISSA MERCIER

Vancouver based fine art photographer Melissa Mercier loves to challenge the viewer to find beauty in the seemingly ordinary.  It's easy to see why her work has become a favorite of hotels including, Four Points, Sheraton, Wynn and Four Seasons. I recently e-chatted with her about her inspirations and artistic process.

YOUR WORK IS SO VARIED…FROM LAND & WATER SCAPES TO URBAN & ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY TO ABSTRACT.  WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION COME FROM?
Sometimes it's not the actual subject that inspires me, but the amount of space involved.  I’m attracted to things that have clean lines and a sense of order. I think I was an architect in another life as the buildings of Arthur Ericson and Santiago Calatrava captivate me. I strive to let my photos breathe as they have done with their structures.

                                                                                               F Sharp Minor

TELL ME HOW YOU CAME ABOUT THE IDEA FOR THE SERIES THAT F SHARP MINOR & F SHARP MAJOR COME FROM?
This series was inspired by color and movement. I wanted to convey motion and emotion as simply as a musical chord can when strummed on a guitar or piano. The sun often flows into my studio window in the mornings as a sliver of light which quickly grows into a thick bar of light and eventually covers my entire wall. It's beautiful to watch unfold, but I am more struck by the speed at which the day passes. This series captures that feeling of realizing the earth is spinning and creating moments of beauty in every step of its journey.

                                                                 F Sharp Major

YOU DESCRIBE YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE SERIES AS COMING FROM THE TURNING OF THE PLANET & THE CYCLE OF LIFE UPON IT, YET YOU’VE GIVEN THE IMAGES MUSICAL TITLES.  HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
My husband is a musician, so I’m often working with a live soundtrack in my life.  He was working on a new song while I was working on this series. At one point in the song I stopped him and asked the name of the chord he was playing and it was f sharp major. It was the perfect feeling for this series. F sharp minor became a natural fit for the second image after hearing it. I like the yin and yang of the musical and visual relationship that's created with the titles. It's also impressive how f sharp major seems even more happy after hearing it immediately after f sharp minor.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS FROM THE POINT OF INSPIRATION TO END PRODUCT?
I usually go through a "subject fixation" and it becomes all I can think about. That’s when I get out my Hasselblad. I use a Phase One digital back which captures huge image files which I prefer to work with. When I feel I have enough great images you'll find me at my computer for months selecting, processing and retouching images until I feel they're complete. It's hard to walk away from the canvas sometimes, but an extremely important step for me as I tend to be obsessed by detail.

WHAT IS THE MOST ENJOYABLE OR REWARDING PART OF THE PROCESS FOR YOU?
Discovering something I really want to photograph and taking the image is the most exciting moment for me. I tend to look at the world around me with a photographic frame and when I see something that speaks to me I almost get high from the moment.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR WORK?
It makes me happy when people find beauty in a place they normally wouldn't look. I try to present that opportunity with my work. I also like to think of my pieces as oxygenated. I hope people walk away feeling rejuvenated; like they've experienced a fresh breath of air.

WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW…WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT?
I have been working on long exposure, night photography documenting Vancouver. Some images are already on my website, but a lot more will be coming up in the spring.

PHOTO GROUPING OF THE DAY

                           Photo courtesy Kanner Architects 

Sometimes all it takes is one fabulous piece of artwork!  In this case the over sized photograph used as a backdrop for the mostly white decor creates a focal point in the room.

NEW RELEASES BY VANCOUVER ARTIST MELISSA MERCIER

                                           F Sharp Major

                                            F Sharp Minor

These are the latest limited editions that we just released.  Doesn't F Sharp Major remind you of the hot summer sun?! F Sharp Minor makes me think of spring... new buds on trees & the fragrance of a freshly mowed lawn.  Nice thoughts on this cold, dreary day!  Vancouver based artist, Melissa Mercier was inspired by the turning of our planet and the cycle of life upon it.  What do they make you think of?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

 

Ingrid Saaliste is an internationally known, award winning Ontario-based photographer.  This image is one of my favorites from her photojournalism works. 

EXCITING GIVEAWAY ON "A LIFE MORE FABULOUS"

 

I'm very excited to announce that Photography Art Store & one of my fav blogs, In Search of A Life More Fabulous are teaming up to offer a "photabulous" giveaway!  Until Monday, January 25th, click on over to A Life More Fabulous & leave a comment for your chance to win an 11" x 14" fine art, limited edition print of your choice. This is a great way to add to (or start) your art collection. As an added bonus, you'll be supporting emerging artists!  Good luck everyone!

PHOTO GROUPING OF THE DAY

                             Photo courtesy of Buckingham Interiors & Design

I love the way the designer has placed a couple of photos on the floor to lean against the art that is hung on the wall.  It creates a relaxed, casual feel that is perfect for this space.  Notice how the art is not hung too high.  That's the #1 mistake that people make when hanging art.  The center of the piece, or grouping in this case, should be at eye level.  Do you have gallery wall or art grouping in your home?  Share them with us.  We'd love to see pics!

OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF HAITI

                                    

For the this week's Photo of the Day I really can't post any other image.  I ask you all to please help out in any way you can.  Find a reputable organization & make a donation to help the people of Haiti.

                                                                     Photo courtesy of Reuters

AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST KENNETH CHOU

Yesterday we released 3 new limited edition photographs by documentary photographer Kenneth Chou on our website. Kenneth is strongly influenced by photographers who take to the streets & this comes across in his images. All 3 photos were shot with black & white film.  Yes film!  That sure is rare these days.  Recently I had the chance to echat with Kenneth to learn more about his process.

                                                            Zoography #31

YOU PREFER THE TERM “DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER” OVER “PHOTO JOURNALIST”. WHY?
I believe documentary work in many cases tend to be long term projects, and to believe in long projects you must be open to unintended directions and changes to your work. I prefer documentary because ultimately it is a commitment you make to be open to yourself and allow what goes on in the world to transcend through you. We live in a media heightened world that has many truths, I believe it is the duty of the documentary practitioner to fortify his own truth as it is no longer sufficient to just speak of the world around you, you must defend your perspective.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
I’ve always been a big fan of photographers that have taken to the streets such as Gerry Winogrand, Robert Frank and Trent Parke. I also have a really strong appreciation for photographers that infuse humor in their photographs… as humor in a photograph is often the hardest to come across and it is something I often strive for. I believe to grow old with photography we must have a comedic eye because humor is often the great equalizer and keeps you in tune with the viewer. Photographers like Martin Parr and Elliot Erwitt have proven that documenting life does not have to be all serious and gloomy.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IS? HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT FOR AN IMAGE OR SERIES?
One day I might decide to photograph people on their Blackberries on the streets. I would go out with a simple concept in mind and come home with many photographs. Many will not work, but those that do I find other ideas and concepts that describe a certain condition. I use a system of categorization and then attempt to string together thematic work, so the concept of having an archive is a strong part of my working process.

HOW MUCH OF YOUR WORK IS SPONTANEOUS AS OPPOSED TO CAREFULLY PLANNED OUT SHOTS?
Almost all of my personal work is spontaneous; I want to capture the unexpected. I also believe it is a way of keeping senses sharp and at the same time allowing yourself to be open to new ideas. Although I would not say the images are random, because as soon as you decide to raise a camera to your eye, the decisions have and are being made…

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON LOCATIONS OR SUBJECT MATTER?
I really don’t. Sometimes I would decide to go someplace or shoot a certain thing but then go off and explore something else. Sometimes it is tough having a photography background because if I mentioned Africa to anyone, they will already have pre-conceptions of an image. It is something I am constantly aware of so I try to keep myself surprised. I carry a Leica camera at all times, so the images are always potentially where I go.

TELL US HOW THESE 3 IMAGES CAME ABOUT?
Zoography #31. I was out shooting with a school colleague of mine, Pauline. We came across this strange scene as if people were behaving like cars and cars were behaving like people. We both stopped and frantically took photos, we didn’t really tell each other what we saw… almost believing we were both secretly onto something strange that had happened in front of us. Later when we both looked at each others negatives, Pauline admitted I had gotten the photo that she was going for. It was a strange scene and many people have asked me whether it was staged at all.

                                                    Rachyl and Charlie

Rachyl and Charlie. This photo came about perhaps 10 minutes after I was stopped by a questionable character who claimed I took a photo of him and demanded my film. I was reluctant but rather than giving him the film or getting into a physical confrontation I simply pulled out my film and exposed the whole roll to light and then later the garbage. I came about the scene soon after, and having being quite upset that I lost a roll of film I threw myself into engaging the dog and it’s owner until another passerby Rachyl stopped to play with Charlie. It was photographed on Kensington Market in Toronto.

                          Makeup, Toronto Fashion Week

Makeup, Toronto Fashion Week. The photo came about while I was given access to photograph the backstage at the annual fashion show. The makeup section had these squares for models to stand in, I do not know if it was the consistency of the models to be of certain shoe size but the square seemed to almost fit the particular model’s feet perfectly.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR ART?
I hope people get the sense of humor in my images. It is often difficult to describe the particular humor that is in these photos because we are so heavily bombarded by internet photos or blatant office email photos that are supposed to be funny at someone else’s expense. These are just moments captured which I hope will lighten people up, but also make them see life with a little bit more humor.

UNLIKE A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS THESE DAYS YOU’VE CHOSEN TO STICK WITH FILM AS YOUR SHOOTING MEDIUM. WHY?
Without being too sentimental, one of the main reasons I still shoot film is its material existence in relation to the subject. If you can imagine looking at Robert Capa’s negatives from D-Day, the very existence of that film, at a certain time, physically existed in a box parallel to the image of the world. The fact that the very physical material of film was carried in, by the photographer, and exposed to light is very profound to me. When I look at my negatives knowing each single piece of film was present at where it was taken really gives me a metaphysical connection. It’s like looking at water and understanding that particular drop traveled great distances to get to you.

WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER GOING DIGITAL?
As a working photographer I do keep up with the latest digital aspects of photography, but I don’t believe they have to be mutually exclusive.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT?
I’m at the very beginning of research into a project. In my previous work I photographed ecological graves. I am hoping to continue the concept of things of significance hidden beneath the ground. The possibilities involve particle accelerators around the world or sites with significant activity hidden within nature.

PHOTO GROUPING OF THE DAY

                courtesy David Netto Designs

Isn't this a fantastic gallery space! I love the clean simple design. I also love that they used a mixture of black & white frames. Notice that they kept the mat width pretty much the same on all the photographs.  This is a good tip to use when creating a gallery wall. 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

                                                             Henri Cartier-Bresson

Today I'm going to tease you with one of my favorite Cartier-Bresson images.  Hint... we have some fabulous black & white photos coming up on www.photographyartstore.com very soon.  Stay tuned...

PHOTO GROUPING OF THE DAY

                                                                  Justin Patrick Photography
What can be simpler than 3 black & white images of equal size with white mats & black frames.  Easy yet so effective. The perfect backdrop for the fresh & colorful decor.

AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST LUNG S. LIU

Happy new year everyone! I hope it's a great one for you! I'm excited to be starting off the new year with an interview from award winning documentary photographer, Lung S. Liu.  Most recently received Lung was named a finalist for Travel Photographer of the Year and received an honourable mention for two book proposals in the Photography Book Now Competition.  However, I'm especially pleased to announce that his image "Nephew Still Sleeping", from his series "Origins", was awarded a Special Honourable Mention for best single image in the 2009 Travel Photographer of the Year Competition. Wow! Congrats Lung!  I'm also extremely proud to be able to feature "Nephew Still Sleeping" exclusively at Photography Art Store as part of our limited edition series prints.

                                                                           Nephew Still Sleeping

DO YOU PREFER THE TERM “DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER OR “PHOTO JOURNALIST”.
For the sake of veracity, I prefer the term “documentary photographer,” if only because that happens to be what I am at the moment. A photojournalist is somewhat more relevant in the immediate world and what I do is less time sensitive.

FOR A LOT OF YOUR PERSONAL WORK YOU’VE DOCUMENTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT TO THE ULTIMATE MARGINS OF SOCIETY. FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR SERIES ON THE VANCOUVER DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SHOWCASE THESE GROUPS?
The most elemental themes of my previous work have been investigations into loneliness, exploring our need to be heard and to form con
nections through the documentation of isolated groups of people who, despite their separation, desire most to have a place within the greater whole. In all of the places I have documented, however ravaged the people or geographical space, there is a sense of collective, perseverance in the face of terrible deprivation. Thus the images are incidental, a way of setting context in order to begin a discussion.

                                                       Sidewalk Dream Scene

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE ORIGINS SERIES THAT “NEPHEW”, & “SIDEWALK DREAM SCENE” CAME FROM?
This series is based on my heritage as a Vietnamese refugee. I documented, with the help of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, the daily life of my family and their neighbours in the city of my birthplace. Through this exploration of the life I might have led if I had not been taken in by Canada, it was my hope to discover how origins can define identity. “Sidewalk Dream Scene” in particular was inspired by the multitudes of advertisements that are now prevalent in Vietnamese culture, but of a lifestyle far beyond the financial means of most Vietnamese.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IS? HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT FOR AN IMAGE OR SERIES?
I get this question a lot and, truthfully, I have no creative process to speak of. My intent is always to document and I merely photograph what I see. There are stylistic differences in my work and others, of course, but that's just a part of the process. All of us shoot in a way that's unique to us, however, there is no conscious effort to pursue a “concept.”

HOW MUCH OF YOUR WORK IS SPONTANEOUS AS OPPOSED TO CAREFULLY PLANNED OUT SHOTS?
At this point, it is nearly all spontaneous. Even my carefully planned out shots are based on the scene at hand. I go somewhere and I make my decisions based on what is there.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON LOCATIONS OR SUBJECT MATTER?
I just go somewhere I have some interest in being and I photographed whatever is there. The location determines the subject matter.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR ART?
I just want people to be affected by them in some way. That's really all I can ask for.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO FROM YOU NEXT?
To be honest, I have no idea. It all depends on where I find myself next and that decision is often made days before departure.