A Dialogue Between Two Conceptual Self-Portrait Photographers

In case you’ve been following my collection of posts about self-portrait images, you’ll already know my suggestions for capturing authenticity, overcoming shyness and discovering inventive props on a good finances (to call a number of).

On this submit, I’d prefer to dig a bit deeper into the method by introducing you to a different conceptual self-portrait photographer and sharing a dialog we had about our work.

In it, we discuss what drives us, how we overcome inventive blocks, discovering which means in our artwork, and extra.

So, let’s soar in.

Veronika Lavey: Hello Charli, thanks for becoming a member of me and chatting about all issues conceptual self-portraiture in images!

Charli Savage: Thanks for having me.

VL: We’ve recognized one another for some time now. How lengthy has it been?

CS: I feel three and a bit years.

VL: Yeah, that’s proper. I bear in mind discovering your Instagram account by means of a remark you made on another person’s submit and considering, oooh, I like her work!

CS: Sure, that’s proper. You despatched me a message and we’ve spoken just about day-after-day since.

VL: I feel we had been very fortunate to have discovered one another. If there’s one piece of recommendation I may give anybody beginning any type of artwork, it’s to search out an artwork buddy. We give a lot assist to one another, each on the unhealthy days and the nice ones. I do know I can at all times depend on you to be sincere after I ask your opinion.

CS: Yeah, completely agree. I’m the identical with you, in that I can belief you’ll be sincere if I ask your opinion, not simply in artwork, however something. I really feel very lucky to have met you and to have your assist.

VL: Excessive fives throughout!!

CS: Hell yeah!

VL: So, let’s dive into what drives the Charli boat ahead in self-portrait images. What’s it about your work that makes you rise up within the morning desperate to create?

CS: It’s a quite simple reply. It fills me with pleasure. It places a smile on my face. It makes me excited, just like the form of excited the place you wish to soar up and down and shimmy throughout. In case you discover one thing that makes you’re feeling like that, then you definitely’re doing what you’re meant to be doing.

VL: I bear in mind making an attempt out so many alternative avenues of making however all of them felt like a chore. I might accumulate all of the books on “Learn how to Write” for instance, and I felt like I wanted to learn all of them earlier than I might put pen to paper. With conceptual self-portraiture although, I simply jumped in.

CS: Completely. I come from an appearing background, and ultimately, I needed to be sincere with myself. Performing didn’t make me pleased. That’s when I discovered conceptual images and I haven’t regarded again since.

Selenophile by Charli Savage

VL: Do you assume self-portrait artists seize totally different sides of vulnerability?

CS: Completely. I feel there’s nothing extra susceptible in images than placing your self in entrance of the digital camera and taking over the position of photographer and topic. You’re exposing your self in a technique or one other. What a brave factor to do!

VL: It’s so highly effective. And vulnerability is such a common expertise too, permitting a sure reference to viewers.

CS: Positively.

VL: It’s additionally necessary to say, I feel, that vulnerability isn’t essentially related to exposing trauma or disappointment. I feel it embraces all kinds of feelings.

CS: Agreed! I don’t create from a spot of trauma in any respect. I create from a spot of curiosity for what pursuits and excites me.

VL: I feel my earlier work positively had a way of melancholy, with the goal to attach through a universally-felt resilience in hardship. My present work nonetheless has its basis in that concept, however I’m leaning extra in the direction of exploring people artwork in a dreamy form of means.

CS: Which is completely nice. We alter and develop as time goes on, so it is smart our artwork would change and develop with us.

Bibliophilia by Charli Savage

VL: I really like that our artwork is altering with us, as we study and develop. It makes all of it so thrilling. You by no means know what’s across the nook. So, how would you give you an idea for one among your curious self-portraits?

CS: Generally, my concepts come from a spot of random photographs that pop into my head, and typically they’re a bit of extra thought out. Among the greatest work I’ve created has been fully unplanned and simply made up as I went alongside. I’m presently engaged on a collection that has extra thought put into it.

VL: Do you wish to inform a bit extra about it, or is it a secret till it’s revealed?

CS: For the collection? Positive. It’s referred to as ‘The place the Misplaced Ones Cover,’ and it’s a couple of woman who loses her creativeness and embarks on this grand journey to search out it. It’s consultant of reconnecting with my internal baby after a inventive block and reigniting my creativeness.

VL: And also you’re exploring totally different mediums too, proper? I really like that you simply’re pushing your self out of your consolation zone. It’s necessary to not get stagnant.

CS: I’m. I’ve began sculpture and I actually like it. I’m excited to include third-dimensional items into this collection in addition to the 2D artworks. It positively performed a task in overcoming the inventive block as nicely.

VL: Oh yeah… the dreaded inventive block!! My recommendation for preventing it off is to immerse your self in visible stimulus that makes your pores and skin all tingly. Watch the form of movies with the fitting aesthetics, go to artwork galleries, flick by means of artwork books… What would your recommendation be?

CS: All of us get it, sadly. I feel for me, it occurred as a result of I felt stagnant with my creativity. I felt myself becoming bored with what I used to be creating. So my recommendation is to strive one thing new. Study a brand new medium, or do one thing totally different inside your present medium that you simply haven’t carried out earlier than. Or simply take a break. There’s nothing improper with doing that. Generally a little bit of R&R is all that’s wanted.

VL: So true. In 2021 I created 52 photographs. Then I hit a wall in 2022 and completed solely 7. On the time, I assumed I misplaced my mojo however in actuality, and now with hindsight, I had new concepts simmering within the background that wanted time and area to develop.

CS: I really feel you there. In 2020, I created simply shy of 100 photographs. In 2021 and 2022 I barely made 10. I had a really lengthy break and felt fairly misplaced creatively. Which is what ended up sparking the thought of ‘The place the Misplaced Ones Cover’ and this story of a lady shedding her creativeness, as a result of that’s what it felt like for me. For me, it was additionally necessary to decelerate and take a step again, to re-evaluate the place I used to be at. And having that point off gave me the area to try this.

VL: And I feel there’ll be loads of individuals who can resonate with that concept. That’s what I discover so fulfilling about self-portraiture and its fixed evolution by means of our rapid experiences. It permits us to attach with others on all kinds of ranges. Conversations are sparked because of the work and communities are shaped across the tales, reminding us that we’re not alone in our journeys.

Fields of Time by Charli Savage

CS: It’s actually an extremely fulfilling factor. I really like when somebody connects with my artwork they usually take the time to inform me what it means to them. It’s often one thing totally different than what it meant to me. It’s what makes conceptual images, and particularly self-portraiture, so good for telling what may very well be a number of tales in a single piece of artwork.

VL: I do know what you imply! At one among my exhibitions, I had a specific piece on the wall that is stuffed with symbolism however I couldn’t fairly articulate what it was about precisely. I simply made the piece as a result of I needed to. Then one of many guests to the present informed me their interpretation and I assumed, “Sure, that’s it. That’s what it’s about!” The following individual would have introduced one thing fully totally different to the desk, although.

VL: When viewers see themselves mirrored in our work, Wow, that may be a transformative expertise!

CS: Sure! Identical for me. A lot of my artwork has been created simply because. After which I’ve gone on to search out which means in it after. I feel it’s straightforward for artists to get caught up in needing it to have which means. Generally, I simply wish to create for the sake of making, purely as a result of I feel it’s visually attention-grabbing, or as a result of it’s the place my creativeness took me. I’m so pleased for my artwork to be interpreted nonetheless the viewer interprets it. Actually, I encourage it. My artwork means no matter you need it to imply.

VL: I ponder what number of artists dislike the query, “So, what’s your artwork about?”

CS: In all probability greater than you’d assume.

VL: Regardless of the unique intention, it positively encourages others to embrace their very own tales and feelings. Conceptual self-portrait images could be a lot greater than mere aesthetics and have interaction on a deeper degree.

CS: For certain.

The Ones I Misplaced by Charli Savage

VL: I’m so glad we had this dialog. It’s at all times massively inspiring to speak to a fellow inventive and I hope anybody studying this can really feel that too. I really like studying interviews with creatives for that very purpose.

CS: Me too. I really like studying it or listening to it from one other artist’s perspective. I particularly discover it attention-grabbing when their perspective or ideas are so totally different to mine.

VL: Fab alternatives to study from one another and develop collectively. So let’s proceed pushing boundaries of self-portrait images, spark these conversations and create artwork that resonates with folks, whether or not that’s one or many.

CS: Hear, hear!

VL: Thanks for the speak Charli. Take care until our subsequent chat… which let’s be sincere, might be in a few hours.

CS: It’s been wild! Over and out.

Charli Savage is a UK-born, Australian-raised conceptual nice artwork photographer. She creates surreal photographic artworks the place she explores her curiosity for the unusual and peculiar. Her work stretches the realms of actuality and pushes the boundaries of creativeness. She resides in Sydney together with her husband Chris, and their black cat, Damien.