INTERVIEW #48: VICKI KING

Vicki King, b. 1987 from the Midlands, UK, currently living in London

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 First of all, the most standard question in the book: how did you get into photography?
 
I’d like to say I was one of those people who have been photographing forever, but I moved to London about 4 years ago to do a foundation course at London College of Fashion, I thought I wanted to do design. I guess I had a lot of pent up creative energy and I just couldn’t release all of that through designing, so I was pretty miserable. Towards the end of the course we started to incorporate photography and it was like a light bulb switched on in my head.

Tell us a little about where you live. How does your town/city/country affect your photography?
 
I live in South London which is visually quite an ugly place, but there is a lot going on here and there is a large arts scene. If you get sick of looking at grey concrete you can just get on the train for 30 mins and be somewhere that looks like a countryside village.

Living in London is obviously a great place for a creative person, for resources and opportunities. In the project I am going to be working on over the next year I am utilising my surroundings and aspects of British culture to a much larger extent than I have done previously.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
 
Porridge and honey. Proper English old lady food.

Did you study, or are you studying, photography? If not, how did you learn?
 
As I mentioned above I did a foundation course then I went onto do a BA in Photography at London College of Communication, and I am currently in my final year. I taught myself a lot of the basic technical stuff though before I started, mostly through trial and error and writing loads of stupid messages on internet forums haha.

What are five things you can’t live without?
 
I’m sure I couldn’t be stating something more predictable  here, but my little Nikon FM camera, couple of rolls of Kodak Portra film,  my mac, and a big cup of coffee..

Do you believe that with the rise of digital photography the phrase “everyone can be a photographer” is true?
 
I think accessing images and becoming inspired and confident about showing your photographs to others has been made so much easier by digital photography and the internet. So yes anyone can be a photographer. Professionally I guess is another matter.

Describe your average day.
 
Get up, drink a lot of coffee, emails and internet things, lectures at uni, planning photography related things, pub with my housemates. Wow I sound pretty boring!

What was the last movie you saw in the theatre?
 
I think it was Harry Potter..? I’m embarrassed to say how excited I was.

If every photograph should contain one key element, what would it be in your opinion?
 
I’m all about the visuals, so the ability to stimulate some sort of eye orgasm is always a winner.

What is your fondest childhood memory?
 
My sister and I used to play a game where we would have to run up the whole of our road through peoples back gardens. Everyone had massive ones and they seemed like these magical forbidden places when we were small.

Who, or what, is your biggest influence?
 
The Sun. Reflections. Things you can’t quite grab hold of.

 

What are your other hobbies besides photography?

I go to a lot of gigs. I’m into films. Dressing up. Exploring the world..

Do you think that the Internet is a legitimate place to showcase your work?
 
Absolutely, I have heard some artists, especially in an arts education slating it, and to be honest I think that is pretentious and naïve. Of course unless it completely goes against your practice and ethics. But how else can emerging artists showcase their work for free to people all over the world? It is imperative.

Where does your inspiration usually come from?
 
A lot of the time music.. I’ll kind of imagine images to go with sounds. Light is always a big influence. Strange beauty. The mood of places, ambiance. And I’m really into Renaissance painting.

Do you always have preconceived concepts of what you want to shoot?
 
I naturally work very intuitively; being at university has made me a lot more conscious about what I am photographing and why. That said, many of my ideas come from instinctual sources. I always want my work to be exciting to look at. I could never rely on concept alone.

What are some of your favorite films?
 
I like Martin De Thurah & Andrei Tarkovsky’s film’s for the visuals. Anything involving or directed by Harmony Korine. It's pretty depressing by Mysterious Skin. Natural Born Killers. Oh and anything with zombies.

What are your plans for the fall?
 
Well I am back at university now, so I will be working there most days. Me and some fellow photographers are also working collaboratively to produce a publication, so that should come into effect over the next few months.

Our last interviewee, John Kilar, wants to know: What would you do for a klondike bar?
 
I just had to google what this was, it looks damn pretty tasty I suppose I could offer you some sort of simulated cyberspace kiss?..

 

Last but not least, what would you like to ask the next interviewee?
 
If the mood of your work were to be encapsulated by a song or piece of music, what would it be?

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 http://www.vicki-king.com/

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