Photographer Interview: Thierry Casias

A graduate of  International Center of Photography's General Studies certificate program, photographer Thierry Casias is one of the many talented folks I've met during the past two years at the ICP.  Originally trained in industrial design, I love the way Casias' photographic "eye" is sensitive to light and the way it falls over the human form. Check out some of the beautiful images from his Quiet Men series in his interview.

From the series Quiet Men
Copyright Thierry Casias

Where are you and/or your family from?
I was born in Brooklyn and my family’s originally from Haiti. In fact, I spent a large part of my childhood in Haiti.

How has growing up biologically male amongst a family of mostly females affected your aesthetic perception of the world as a photographer?
It’s hard to say. Mostly because neither the female, nor the males I grew up with were typical of the stereotypes attributed to each gender. Haitian culture, like many Latin American cultures is matriarchal. I grew up with very strong vocal women and they were nurturers and well as providers.

From the series Quiet Men
Copyright Thierry Casias

The images in your series Quiet Men are just gorgeous and in the way you've photographed them I really notice physical details typically attributed to females (like stretch marks and long, curly eyelashes) both of which of course are inherently just human. Do you consider these to be portraits or a study on defining masculinity?
Thank you! Both in a way. As a whole, the project seeks to define masculinity but only for myself. They’re as much self-portraits as they are representations of the subjects. These details are incidental... Mostly I sought to show beauty and dignity in everyday men.

From the series Quiet Men
Copyright Thierry Casias

What was your approach with each subject? Did you hold conversations about how they personally define masculinity? Can you share some of their answers?
I chose for subjects men that I’m close to in some capacity or another. My process was to set up a list of questions. Some were general (“how do you define a man”?) while others were more personal, based on what I know of their personal histories. I recorded these conversations and used their answers in the voice overs of the video portraits. These were shot first, while the stills were shot shortly after. From the interview process I hoped to get my subject into a reflective mood and it also served to break the ice before shooting the videos and the stills.

From the series Quiet Men
Copyright Thierry Casias

You're professionally trained in product/industrial design. How has those skills contributed to your photography work, if at all?
I’ve often been told that my work has a certain formal quality, especially in terms of composition and I think this comes largely from my formal training. I also tend to obsess over production processes and the technical aspects. That might be related as well. In the past I’ve tried my best to create two distinct worlds and to avoid letting my training as an industrial designer influence my work but as I mature as an artist I’ve decide to stop trying to create such defined boundaries, and to avoid getting stuck on labels.

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Artist Interview: Rico Gatson

In his latest solo show, The Promise of Light, artist Rico Gatson pays visual tribute to a decades-long history of Black migration from the south to California, partly interpreted through his own family's journey. Gatson's show is currently on view at the Ronald Feldman gallery in New York through May 18, 2013.

D&B: As a multidisciplinary artist, how do you determine what medium to use for your message?
RG: I tend to work in all media at once because that is what makes the most sense to me. It is about having experiences in multiple materials in order to provide a form for the ideas.

The Promise of Light, 2013
(detail)
1 channel video projectionrun time: 6 minutes

Was "The Promise of Light" show the first time you worked with photography?
This was not the first time I used digital imagery in work. It’s been part of my process for over 12 years. I’ve worked with both digital photography and video as another way of expressing ideas.

How do photographic images inspire your paintings?
The photographic imagery functions as a source of inspiration to develop an image and is a jumping off point for much of the work, including collage, digital images, in addition to the painting.

Family #3, 2013

unique inkjet print on paper

21 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches

Can you talk about the meaning behind the rainbow-colored, light flare effect on the three "Family" photographs in your show?

The prismatic light is beautiful and functions as a veil, transforming the black-and-white source image, rendering it anew.

Was this the first time you incorporated your family into your work? Did you have any reservations?
I’ve incorporated aspects of family in my work for many years in different ways, but this is the first time I’ve used actual family photographs as a source material.

Magic Stick #15, 2013
paint on wood 
90 3/8 x 49 7/8 x 15 inches

Why did you decide to do a piece about Obama? How does he figure into the underlying narrative of Black migration within the USA?
I’ve done several pieces on Obama in recent years. He represents both an ideal and the culmination of a journey. I’m interested in examining this notion in the work.

Recently I had a professor tell me that the role of an artist is not to fill in the gaps of history. Do you agree? How do you think your work operates within past and future histories?
Yes, I agree that the role of an artist is not to fill in the gaps. I use historical information as a source for generating work, but, ultimately, how the work operates within history is not determined by me. The methods and concepts I employ in my work place me within a certain context, determined by time.

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Photographer Interview: Namsa Leuba

Last year I discovered the work of photographer Namsa Leuba through a Tumblr blog and have been following her ever since. This past January I got to meet Namsa in person at my ICP-Bard MFA solo show which was wonderful because it's rare that I meet my internet contacts in person. I've asked Namsa to share two bodies of work that I feel are related visually. Follow Namsa Leuba's blog to stay up date on her work.

D&B: Where are you from and where are you living now?
NL: I was born to a Guinean mother and an Helvetian father. I grew up on the shores of Neuchatel’s lake in Switzerland. Now I am living in New York.

From the series Ya Kala Ben
Copyright Namsa Leuba

Your 2011 series, Ya Kala Ben was all shot in your mother's home country of Guinea. Did you have a prior connection (as a child) to Guinean culture and it's rituals? Tell us about how you found the subjects/people in these photographs.
All I knew before the trip was that my mother is muslim and that my father is a protestant, although I’ve not been baptized. The religious aspect of my mother’s country became very prominent. I discovered an animist side to the Guinean culture which is based on people’s respect for it. I had been exposed to the supernatural part of Guinean culture since I was a child. I visited ‘marabouts’ (some type of witches) and this time around took part in many ceremonies and rituals. For me it was important to do this work, because now I feel more aware of this situation; the existence of a parallel world and the world of spirits.

From the series Ya Kala Ben
Copyright Namsa Leuba

You said many Guineans thought the act of photographing these ceremonial acts and objects was sacrilegious. What was it like to make this work under such scrutiny? 
Throughout my fieldwork, I had to deal with sometimes violent reactions from Guineans who viewed my procedures/practices as a form of sacrilege. Some were afraid and were struck with astonishment.  To be able to enter a sacred forest, normally reserved for the few initiated, I received, after long negotiations, an “express” introduction which after all took a day to complete. To be serious and quiet. Most of time my subjects were stressed because they are not used to being a model and being photographed.

 They know what they represent; they know they have to respect the holy tools. That is why I had to work very quickly all the time. This trip was an opportunity to reconnect with some of my roots. I have always wanted to explore and share this other culture that is part of me. I knew that the best way to do so was to visit the village founded by my great-grandfather. This pilgrimage to the land of my ancestors inevitably and immediately raised the sensitive question of “origin” or “origins”: mine, that of my parents, of others (my subjects) and of my approach.

From the series The African Queens
Copyright Namsa Leuba

What do you think a viewer who is unfamiliar with Guinean cosmology gains by seeing it set in a new context through your lens?
I am particularly interested in fetishes. My approach is to separate those sacred statuettes from their religious context in order to immortalize them in a Western framework. They are ritualistic tools that I have animated by giving them an unusual meaning in the Guinean context.

Your more recent work (The African Queens) also incorporates objects and regalia. Are these images more than fashion?
Yes, I was inspired by African statuettes, but there is another context and another meaning derived through the language of fashion. I always expose myself through the objective. I use my experience to visualize a photo and get the full understanding of an image. When I'm making work, what's important is to keep my own vision. I like working in fashion but with a fine art approach. I always try to do something fresh.

From the series The African Queens
Copyright Namsa Leuba

What's next for you? What are you working on now?
I’m working on flags of sacrifices, Guinean Swiss flags and on different identities. You will see more soon in May 2013. I will have an exhibition in NYC at the beginning of 2014 and then I will be in South Africa for 5 months to work on an ongoing project. I've also received a Pro Helvetia (CH) artist residency.

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Panel Discussion and Screening of Film on Colorism Among Latinos

Panel Discussion and Screening of Negro
Sunday, April 14th
3:00pm - 5:00pm ET

La Casa Azul Bookstore
143 E. 103rd Street
(Bet. 103rd Str. and Lexington Ave)
New York, NY 10029

$10 - Suggested Donation
RSVP via email: lacasaazul[at]gmail[dot]com

Join us this Sunday for a film screening of Negro, which is a docu-series exploring identity, colonization, racism and the African Diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean and the color complex among Latin@s. Through candid interviews of Latin@s, the social manifestations and consequences of the deep-seated color complex are deconstructed. A panel with the filmmaker, Dash Harris will follow the screening.

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Get updates on new photographer interviews plus news on contests, art shows and informed commentary on what's happening with diversity in photography. Subscribe to Dodge & Burn Photography Blog: Diversity in Photography by Email.

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Vera Wang Fashion Ads Featuring Rarely Seen Asian Models

Loving the new print ad campaign for the Simply Vera by Vera Wang fashion collection at Kohl's.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is the first time I've actually seen an Asian couple in a fashion advertisement? Found this flipping through the March 2013 issue of Elle magazine... Love!