Paul Phung

London, UK

website

Paul Phung is a photographer based in London, UK. In his work, fashion photography, among others, meets portraiture on and of location(s). Phung captures moments and emotions on film, highlighting their delicate compositions and subtly revealing their connections to immediate contexts respectively. His photographs convey a sense of quiet, almost elusive movement, virtually 'ensnaring' viewers to pause and delve into the scenes they show.

Chloe Newman

London, UK

flickr website 

  

The majority of your work consists of conceptual sets. What do you enjoy about working conceptually?

I actually just prefer to shoot images that come into my head. And then, once I've shot them and when I see the pictures together, they start to build the concept themselves. I'm very focused on the aesthetic of the image, so sometimes I find that if I over-think the concept I feel restricted in what I can photograph. I like to take a more subconscious approach to taking my photographs.

Could you explain further what is behind your projects "Something wrong", "Visual Conflicts" and "Black Tropicana"?

Something Wrong originally started with me looking at formalism and gradually entered the realms of the uncanny. With Visual Conflicts I was intrigued by surrealism within advertisements, and the tension between the disturbing and humorous elements within that. Black Tropicana was the most recent, I collaborated on the series with my fellow photographer Rebecca Scheinberg, we wanted to create almost another world, one that presents the irreal facade, critiquing a paradise devoid of the essence that makes it ideal. But I like all of my photographs to be quite open to interpretation; I find it a lot more interesting when people tell me what they think the work is about just from what they personally see in it, without my influence. Once my tutor told me she could see references to a vagina in the hamburger shot in Visual Conflicts which was ... different to hear!

Did your photography studies at the university change your work? If yes, how so?

I think my past two years studying at LCC has definitely had a good impact on my work. Before LCC I mainly shot black and white film and was still figuring out what I wanted to photograph, now I am really interested in colour and digital and have found more of my own niche photographically. I'd say the people have been a great influence, my class is pretty diverse in the range of work and they have really opened my eyes to different photographers that have helped shaped my work.

What are the things you gained and what are the things you lost along the way?

I gained a partner in crime! Rebecca, the photographer I collaborated with for Black Tropicana, and I have formed a creative duo called 'Newshine'. Black Tropicana is our first set of images but we are shooting soon to create more 'chapters' so keep an eye out for those! I think I've just gained confidence in shooting what I want to shoot, and taking criticism on board, but not letting it completely rule my practice. I wouldn't say I've lost anything, perhaps not shooting black and white as frequently, but I'm sure it will rear its head sometime in the future again, once my love affair with colour dies down...

What do you want to do after your studies?

I'd like to continue collaborating with ‘Newshine’ and create more weird and wacky images, perhaps look into cinematography further as I love films.

Is there an artist, young or old, that you admire?

Where do I start!? David Lynch is an all-time favourite of mine, I just find his use of ambiguity and mystery in his films very thought provoking and inspiring. I love Viviane Sassen's work, she has a really great distinctive style, I visited her retrospective in Amsterdam earlier this year and left so inspired by how the show was displayed. I suppose Quentin Tarantino and Nicolas Winding Refn currently are a strong influence for me with the colour palettes in the films Kill Bill and Only God Forgives.

Which galleries in London do you enjoy visiting yourself?

The Michael Hoppen Gallery always shows amazing visual photographers like Prager and Bourdin and I also like visiting the ICA, they have great talks and shows.

What are you working on this autumn/winter?

I'm currently shooting some new images with Rebecca for ‘Newshine’ that will be online soon, we will also be putting on an exhibition with four other photographers called A Tribute Act at Trinity Buoy Wharf from the 3rd -4th October showing the Black Tropicana images in an installation format which should be interesting! Then I'll start to work on my final year piece and dissertation, so it's going to be busy but I'm looking forward to it!

And where do you see yourself in, say, 5 years?

I'd like to be still taking photographs, but simultaneously trying my hand at cinematography, I'd also like to travel to a few different countries, too, like Sweden, Germany, or really exotic neon filled places for shooting images.

Note:

Image No. 4 belongs to the Project "Black Tropicana", a collaboration between Chloe Newman and Rebecca Scheinberg.

Interested?

If you are in London mid-October, take a look at the exhibition ‘A Tribute Act’ where Chloe’s work will be exhibited, too.

A Tribute Act 

Exhibition: 3rd - 4th Oct 2013

Private View: 3rd 18:00-22:30

Location: Trinitiy Buoy Wharf, 64 Orchard Pl, London E14 0JY

Luca Massaccesi

currently Cambridge, UK

website flickr

What intrigues you most about the interaction between landscapes or surroundings and people?

I always loved peaceful places where nothing is “polluted” by the human touch. Also, I really hope that photographing this ‘freedom’ can explain my personal desire for freedom. Pursuing photography I discovered that you can’t understand any place if you don’t have a look at all the things, people or whatever that makes this place alive, as well. What I am trying to do is to present and explain all these mixed compositions that I find.

What do you want to catch in this context and how do you go about doing it most of the times?

I try to catch that moment, that one feeling, which seems to explain everything and with which things appear to be easier and simpler. I think that images have the power to explain a bit of what you’re feeling inside. I don’t really reach this goal every time, and perhaps I never reach it.

What was the collaboration with your brother about?

It’s an artistic collaboration, which began many years ago. My brother is my twin brother and even though we piss each other off most of the times, we still have a strangely strong bond. Our collaboration started with our Brand D’ANDY: we were involved in designing t-shirts and clothes after high school.  Later we changed our focus and now we use this brand just for photography works - especially wedding photography. Maybe I should explain my passion for the arts and the importance of collaboration with my brother a little bit more: I had always been interested in taking pictures and in video making. When I was little, I had been shooting pictures with an old Minolta. It was when I was 18, that I got my first digital camera and that I re-discovered my old enthusiasm for photography thanks to my brother. It's a passion that moves me to document this amazing world and makes me feel very comfortable.

What do you enjoy most about working with your brother?

It means that I can work together with a graduate student for art direction and photography at the ISIA (Italy) and at ECAL of Lausanne every day. In this context all assistance has come to be a new experience for me to improve myself. I like to work in this ‘fancy’ job, but more than that, I like that I continuously learn something new. I honestly have to say: I’m very lucky to be in this position. And just at the side, I think they do an amazing job and they really deserve the attention that they’re starting to get. And I really am not just saying this to support my brother.

You recently moved back to the UK?

After a year far from the UK I got back here at the beginning of October. This time I am in Cambridge to pursue a project parallel to my university studies. It’s not a coincidence, because I always choose my destination with paying particular attention to my interests in photography. For around 6 months I will use my day off from work to develop some new projects and to finish others that I had started in 2011.

What are your working on currently?

I never work on one single project, because I don’t like to be static and to lock my mind with a specific point of view.  Last summer I started a huge project about isolation and rural life and I want to concentrate on some ancient villages in my country. The project is still on fire and I guess it will a major interest of mine for a long time. I’ll let you know about it in the future. Here in the UK I’m finishing some works that I had started in  2011. They are about video making, so I’m ‘sailing out’ to learn more about the for me yet ‘undiscovered lands’ of short movies. I’m at the second stage of the series “with you”, which you can see on my YouTube channel. And besides such bigger projects, I try to do some good blogging everyday.

Have you had moments where you regretted or doubted your choice of having picked up the profession of a photographer?

I have never had moments of doubt about picking up this road, because in my opinion, I have never really ‘pursued’ it seriously as a profession. Yes, sometimes I have had regrets, but they were not about photography, but rather about other choices I made in my life. To me, photography and visual arts are just my personal way to show the world what I see. I don’t consider myself a photographer, I take some good pictures sometimes.

How many language do you speak?

Well, Italian is my mother tongue. When I’m satisfied with my English, I’ll might start to learn another language.

How many important is for you to interact and exchange with other artists?

I wouldn’t say it’s important, I would argue that it’s essential. Exchange is necessary: reading, watching and chatting about everybody with everybody. It’s the only way to discover something new. It’s vital for my work, because I take pictures not just because I fancy doing that, but because I really like to discover new things and ideas. And it doesn’t matter if the people or artists you exchange with or talk about are popular or not.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years, on a Saturday afternoon?

I really don’t know. Thinking about the future is not so easy, especially not in this period. But well, winter is approaching, so hopefully I’ll be spending my Saturday afternoon 5 years from now on a ski track taking pictures of my son while teaching him skiing very well at the same time!

Documenting and exchanging about it. Take a look at his work!