Erik Mowinckel, b. 1988 & based in Oslo, Norway.
----
Coming Up Strong: How
did you get into photography?
Erik Mowinckel: Me
and a friend used to walk around the neighborhood, taking photos and
filming each other doing stuff we thought was funny or cool. The
results were mostly photographs of us jumping from containers or
roofs. We made a few movies as well.
CUS: Did
you study, or are you studying, photography? If not, how did you
learn?
EM: I
did study photography for two years, a sort of preparatory school we
have in Oslo. But most of the technical knowledge came from trying
things out and reading on the internet.
CUS: Tell
us a little about where you live. How does your city/country/current
location have an affect on your photography?
EM: I
live in Oslo. I've lived here for the past six years. I have a
specific mindset when I'm at home, like most people probably. I have
a lot of routines; I usually walk around the city through the same
routes. Bringing a camera on these walks makes me more alert to
situations I come across. Though I usually feel more inspired to take
pictures when I'm on the move, it could be a boat trip or a week in
the south of Norway.
CUS: What
did you have for breakfast this morning?
EM: This
morning I was at my grandfathers house in Bergen and I ate two pieces
of bread with mayo, salami and cucumber. a combo my grandfathers
girlfriend suggested I try.
CUS: What
makes a good image?
EM: I
have always loved the feeling of familiarity in a photograph, feeling
like I can relate though I have never been there. Usually this
involves people, but it can also be a picture of a house or a street,
anything basically. I remember specifically a picture of pupils in a
high school cafeteria (I don´t remember the photographer), I
instantly thought of the complex net of relations which is always
present in a school. The dynamic in a group of people.
CUS: What
are five things you can’t live without?
EM: Close
friends, family, photography, music and walking
CUS: Who,
or what, is your biggest influence?
EM: Photographs
I have seen over the years that have made an impression on me and
given me a feeling of the extent of the medium and art in general.
For a long time this feeling of connecting to pictures was mostly
tied to single images and the fact that it was possible to
communicate something valuable so clearly within a frame. I also
appreciate series of photographs and the ideas you can promote
through a narrative in a book or exhibition for instance. Also, the
work of Andy Goldsworthy made a big impact on me.
CUS: Do
you believe that with the rise of digital photography the phrase
“everyone can be a photographer” is true? What are your thoughts
on digital vs. film photography?
EM: I
work in a photography shop (developing film and printing from digital
images) and I´ll admit most of the photographs are boring, but there
have been a few sincerely amazing photos, where the context
established by the accompanying images makes it reasonable to assume
they don´t consider themselves professional photographers.
So
I do think everyone is capable of taking photographs that are
interesting, but not everyone can consciously make a great book of
photographs unless they devote a lot of time and thought to it. I
guess the first step is wanting to explore someone, something or
somewhere with a camera. Whether you use film or digital will effect
how you work, in terms of digital giving you faster feedback. I
walked around with my old 350d one night and really enjoyed the
change of pace, but the tones in the photos were horrible (as the
camera is 10 years old, which in the digital world means really old).
I would buy a full format digital camera if I could afford it though.
CUS: What
are your thoughts on photography and the Internet? (For example, mass
amounts of images being uploaded every day via sites such as Flickr,
Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram...) How do you differentiate
"art" photography and "non-art" photography?
EM: I
guess art photography would be spending your time creating a body of
photographs, searching for or staging something you consider to have
a certain quality. Wanting to contribute to the community of people
who use cameras to express their surroundings.
CUS: Do
you think that the Internet (as opposed to a gallery or any other art
institution) is a legitimate place to showcase photographic work or
do photographs have to be seen in "the flesh" to be fully
appreciated and experienced?
EM: Once
the photograph is printed it becomes a physical statement as well,
you get an entire new platform for playing with whatever is depicted
in the photograph through the possibilities of placement. I think
Wolfgang Tilmanns does this incredibly well. At the same time the
internet offers yet another platform, with completely different
perks. You have all these codes that you could choose from, and I
think they as well can enforce the image.
CUS: You
seem to enjoy playing with color and composition in order to create
an abstracted and minimalist image. (Do you agree?) What is it about
abstraction and minimalism that interests you?
EM: I
agree that there is a minimalism there, I often go as close as I can
without losing anything of what I consider important. I enjoy
covering the entire image in something that would otherwise just be a
detail of a larger structure. This is another aspect of image making
I enjoy; how you hint at a larger whole by showing a part of it.
Photography is practically built for this.
CUS: What
are your plans for the summer?
EM: Going
to Helsinki and Dublin to visit friends, working and, hopefully, get
into the art academy in Bergen.
CUS: What
tips would you give to get out of a creative slump?
EM: Reading
interviews with artists you enjoy.
CUS: What
advice would you give to your fellow up-and-coming photographers?
EM: Have
fun :)
CUS: What
do you hope to achieve with your photography? Do you foresee
photography as a career in your future?
EM: I
know I want to take pictures, but I don´t know if I want or can make
a career out of it yet. I hope to travel more, and generally put more
ideas into work.
CUS: Can
you tell us about any upcoming projects or shows?
EM: I
am applying for the art academy both in Bergen and Oslo. And if I get
through to the second round, I start working on a project a month or
so before the interview. In Oslo this means exhibiting the work, in
bergen I just bring it to the school like a portfolio I think. I have
a couple of ideas for this, one is finding some sort of theme,
dynamic or principle and illustrating it through both staging
photographs (which I´ve almost never done) and looking for it in my
environment.
CUS: Our
last interviewee, Adam Revington, asks: Why take pictures?
EM: To
engage in your surroundings.
CUS: Last
but not least, what would you like to ask the next interviewee?
EM: What
makes a good series?
------
Posts
