JONATHAN CHERRY: What were the last two memorable things to really inspire you?
JONATHAN BLAUSTEIN: Last Friday, some friends and I drove out to Tucson, Arizona to see the reconstructed “New Topographics” show at the Center for Creative Photography. I spent a good chunk of time looking at Robert Adams’s photographs from Colorado. He had a way of evoking beauty and wonder within the anti-aesthetic that I’ve been thinking about all week. And I listened to Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” three times through the other day. Same thing. Bleak beauty … criticality mixed with appreciation and respect.
JC: What was the last photographic book you picked up?
JB: Well, this morning I picked up Robert Adams “California,” but I think I read your email first, so that doesn’t count. In Tucson, a friend showed me a softcover book by a Japanese photographer Eikoh Hosoe, of whom I’d not heard before. Very striking black and white images, just the littlest bit surreal. I’ve been very influenced by Haruki Murakami’s fiction, and these images seemed to share that sense of otherworldliness embedded within reality.
JC: What is The Edge of Empire all about?
JB: I’m interested in understanding how life in the 21st Century is different from what has come before. To me, the impact of Globalization and the communication technology revolution is where the story begins. So this project, which is ongoing, is my attempt to understand the world by looking at a place that has been the fringe of two major Empires in the last four centuries. Life is not easy, and survival is a day-to-day concern. The Valley used to have the benefit of not knowing what they didn’t have, and that is no longer possible. But natural beauty is ever-present, and that’s something I’m trying to grapple with.
JC: What is the above (first) photo all about?
JB: Whenever I’m in Antonito, I go and visit these two guys Roger and Tony, who hang out in a vintage store they opened last year. They know everyone in town, so there are always folks around. Last time I was there, Eugene was chatting, sharing coffee and cake, and when I asked if I could take someone’s portrait, they all said Eugene would do it. So he was already comfortable with me b/c I knew his friends. I took him to the front of the store to grab the window light, and so that the entire place would be the backdrop. I asked him what he did so that I could have a little context for the title, and he said out-of-work mechanic. Then he said, oh yeah, I used to be Mayor too. He’s thinking of running again.
JC: In your opinion what makes a successful portrait?
JB: I think a good portrait endeavors to tell a little truth about the sitter and a little truth about the photographer. Obviously, we all know there are limits to how much any one image can convey about the subject. I’m attracted to intensity in the image, and sharpness helps as well. Often, the expression in the eyes can suggest ambiguity, which I like. Though of course someone like Amy Elkins, who has her subjects looking elsewhere, does a great job too.
JC: Do you find making portraits an easy or hard process?
JB: When I’m getting paid, (which is rarely) it’s hard. For my art practice, I find it easy. I try not to photograph someone unless I know them already, like Mel the butcher, or at least have them trust me a bit, like with Eugene. I got a good tip from the old school Santa Fe photographer Norman Mauskopf, who suggested that once the light and scene are set and the camera is up, wait two extra seconds. It creates a sense of discomfort, and it works well for me.
JC: What is next for you photographically?
JB: I’m planning to focus on this project for several more years. I’m working my way North in a huge Valley, and want to make a series of different image strands that interconnect. The first set of images glosses over the landscape, which is beyond photogenic. So I’ve got to figure out how to deal with the landscape in a way that is somewhat original. Quite a lot of work ahead of me.
JC: Whats in store for 2010?
JB: Well, I’m fortunate that I’m going to be able to exhibit some of the photographs from “The Edge of Empire,” this June at my gallery in Santa Fe, Zane Bennett. They’ll be up during Review Santa Fe, the major portfolio review event, so they’ll be seen by a pretty important audience. Beyond that, I want to make as much new work as possible, and perhaps hit an art fair or two.
JC: Any other thoughts?
JB: Well, first off, thanks for this. Writing always helps me gather my thoughts. Secondly, I think that the “Inter-verse” allows us the opportunity to interact within a Global community. Having an audience for one’s work ought to be the goal of every artist with opinions, and I relish the opportunity to share my photographs with people around the world.
