![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
« Spraygraphic Call for Artists: The Lost Album Art Show | Main | MINI MINI ORIGAMI ART »
Spraygraphic Interview with Photographer Lucia Annabella Fischer
By Spraygraphic | March 3, 2010
Spraygraphic Interview with Photographer Lucia Annabella Fischer
SG: Please tell us about yourself. Where do you currently live and work?
LAF: I work a day job at an image retouching company called Cream Studios but outside office hours I work for myself as an artist. Art has been my passion ever since I was young. These days I focus primarily on photography but I also dabble in painting, drawing, clothing design and collage and love to muddle across the art genre boundaries. I currently live in Sydney, but having been raised in a bit of a gypsy nomadic lifestyle means I call several cities home.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
LAF: I’m a traditionalist in many ways and am loyal to the medium of film. But I do work digitally as well through the means of scanning and post processing in Photoshop. I have also recently started focusing alot of my attention to collage after discovering that my late uncle created some really great collage work. I’ve been enjoying getting back in the analogue dark room hand printing and then combined these prints with vintage book, paper discards and found objects to create nostalgic little collage pieces.
SG: What kind of equipment do you use?
LAF: I love to collect old cameras and have about 20 of them in my collection at the moment. I like to use all of them here and there but my Holga has become my steady favorite. I process my film at home in our laundry and am lucky to have access to a great Flextight scanner at work.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
LAF: I carry my camera around with me most places I go and snap up the interesting scenes and things I stumble upon on my daily travels. In that sense its a kind of diary for me. Its a bit of a slow process, I have an overflowing stockpile of exposed film in my fridge and its slow turn around because I process, scan and manipulate everything myself by hand. But its rewarding and kind of a nice surprise to see images 6 weeks after I shot them. It means I look at them with fresh eyes and evokes that sentimentality I like to incorporate into my work. I store all my images on my computer in chronological order and then currate them into a refined series. For my latest series, which will be exhibited at aMBUSH Gallery in April, I embarked on a solo train trip city hopping through Europe. It was great being alone with just my camera and my thoughts and I took a lot of diary notes to create an accompany poetry for the series. When I came home I locked myself in my room for about two weeks listening to music and sorting through and processing the scans from these shots.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
LAF: I spend an exuberant amount of time on the internet, looking at blogs and artist websites. I also go to at least one or two local art exhibitions a week. I think inspiration from others is the best way to get the creative juices flowing.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
LAF: Local artists; Ben Ong, Kareena Zerefos, and Alex Jennings as well as my surrounding environment. I find city backstreets really intrigueing. I am always taking the long route to whereever I am going. Weaving through little alley’s looking for hidden visual treats.
SG: What do you look for when you are picking models/subjects to work with? Is it a physical feature? Personality? Photogenic? etc…
LAF: My subjects are primarily urban landscapes. I like grimy, gritty, old, or industrial areas. Pockets in the concrete jungle forgotten or ignored by others. I like to bring their hidden beauty out for others to see.
SG: Do you bring your camera with you everywhere with you or do you leave it home when you go out on the town?
LAF: I like to say that I always bring a camera with me wherever I go but I admit sometimes I don’t. Generally My Holga comes out with me during the day, he’s great coz he’s nothing but a little plastic box so he doesn’t mind getting wet or sandy at the beach. If I am going somewhere special I will take an extra Polaroid or Brownie so they get some play time too. And if I go out at night I have a cheap little point and shoot I take that has the benefits of a flash and low sentimental value incase I loose him on a drunken escapade.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
LAF: I have had two solo shows in Sydney with a third coming up in April. I also try to get my work out and about via group shows which has gotten me exposure as far as Perth and Canberra. I would love to exhibit overseas aswell and am working on getting there.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
LAF: April 9th is the opening of next solo show ‘The Holga Diaries II’ at aMBUSH Gallery. This will exhibit the photographs I created from images I brought back from my trip through Europe last October. After that I plan to focus I little more on my collage work.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
LAF: To quit my day job and travel the world for at least two years documenting as many cities as I can. I’d love to be able to let go of all my possessions, except my holga, and travel a nomadic lifestyle free of restraints and commitments.
SG: What is your favorite color?.
LAF: Can I count black as a color?
SG: Who is your favorite photographer? And Why?
LAF: Thats tough, I don’t think I could pick one favorite. I love artists/photographers that help us see the world in new ways. I guess if I had to pick it would be either the Becher’s, Diane Arbus or Francesca Woodman.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
LAF: I’m obsessed with Empty magazine at the moment. I read a lot of books as well, almost every night before bed, but have a short attention span so I always read more than one at once. At the moment its Fight Club and Catcher in the Rye.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
LAF: In true Aussie style I love the beach, hanging out amongst the surf, sand and sun. My favourite beach is Byron Bay up in north east Australia. Its one of the places I grew up and a tranquil retreat I love to return to.
SG: Any final words of advice?
LAF: Never stop dreaming and don’t be afraid of hard work. Along the way people have tried to tell me “you’ll never be able to do that, its too hard, too expensive, its too competitive etc” but its those challenges that have been my most satisfying accomplishments. Anyone can do whatever they want if they set their minds to it!
Additional Links:
Topics: Artist Interviews, International-Art, Photography, Women Art |
