Fernando Farfán

Fernando Farfán

Mexico City

flickr

You study graphic design. Did you start getting interested in photography

before or after you started your studies?

I´ve been interested in photography since I was a kid. I used to take pictures secretly with my mom's Yashica but when I grew older, she bought a digital point and shoot camera which is when I started taking pictures more often. I also then began to read and investigate about photography and photographers. Though my interest in graphic design started when I was about 12 years old. I remember I used to collect business cards and I was always interested in album covers, magazines, book covers and a lot of things like that, so I´d say my interest for photography started first.

Recurring themes in your work are windows and the play with soft light. What fascinates you about these motifs?

I really don´t know when or why I started to develop that aesthetic in my pictures. It may be because I don´t like artificial light. I enjoy natural lighting much more like you see through curtains and windows.

Do artists consciously or subconsciously always have a certain message in their work?

Yeah, definitely. I remember being asked if some of my selfportraits had a certain message or meaning to me and the answer was always no, but then I realized over time that they did. I can see my mood when I took the picture; what I was feeling shows in my posture or even the lighting. I can almost convey what I was thinking. I think it's that way for any artist.

Do you enjoy illustrations in books, especially in novels, or do you prefer to leave it to your own imagination?

Imagination FTW.

If you were to pick a novel/story/narration for a photography project, which would you choose?

La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind). It´s a novel written by Carlos Ruiz Zafrón that takes place in Barcelona in the first half of the XX century.

What was your collaboration with heeykiddo about?

He took the pictures and I added some graphics.

Everything was random, there was no theme, no rules, no anything, the point was to do something with pictures that he thought were boring.

Is there one artist that has shaped your perception of art significantly?

Yes, definitely. There are actually many artists that surprise and keep surprising me every time I look at their work which makes me reconsider the meaning of art. But probably the most inspiring work that I´ve seen in person is from Yishai Jusidman (a plastic artist) and Gregory Crewdson (a photographer). I also died when I saw an exposition of Andy Warhol's work.

Can one get addicted to buying cameras?

Yes, I'm an example.

What is going on here?

Well, there´s a place called ‘La Marquesa’ in Toluca, Mexico, that I like to go with my friends. One day we discovered these bubble things by a lake and decided it would be fun. It was, but I couldn't breathe so I got away from those bubbles and started taking some pictures of my friends inside them.

Which magazine would you love to work for?

Photography for GQ.

Designing for Celeste or Little White Lies.

Soft and soothing lights, be sure to take a look at his flickr!