MINI MINI
AZURE AZURE ISSUE NO.4 ISSUE NO.4
1
PHOTOGRAPHY Saskia Lawson
2 Atlas Magazine
Click here to purchase Print & Digital Available www.theatlasmagazine.com/stockists
3
Submissions Read our submission guidelines at theatlasmagazine.com Submit your work to submissions@theatlasmagazine.com
Contact submissions@theatlasmagazine.com advertising@theatlasmagazine.com writing@theatlasmagazine.com web@theatlasmagazine.com www.theatlasmagazine.com
SOCIAL www.facebook.com/theatlasmagazine www.twitter.com/myatlasmagazine www.instagram.com/theatlasmagazine www.theatlasmagazine.tumblr.com www.issuu.com/theatlasmagazine
Atlas (Print) ISSN 2056-5836 Atlas (Online) ISSN 2056-5844 Produced by Kwintus Publishing Ltd. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use 4 Atlas Magazine of material in this magazine. Copyright Š. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of Kwintus Publishing Ltd.
PHOTOGRAPHY Lucia Fatima
5
6 Atlas Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Burditt
ARTICLES
Interview: Photographer Oleg Oprisco By Olivia Bossert Page 12-17 Denim Daze By Emma Lavelle Page 40-43
Winter Blues By Megan Breukelman Page 52-53 Waves and Wonder: How the Ocean Influences Artists By Rosa Furneaux Page 64-71
HIGHLIGHTS by Lucia Fatima Page 18-29
BEYOND by Nick Eucker Page 44-51
BLOOD ROSES by Matthew Burditt Page 30-39
BLUE HUE by Saskia Lawson Page 54-63
EDITORIALS 7
EDITOR IN CHIEF
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Olivia Bossert
Jessica Bailey
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ONLINE EDITOR Jasmin Rauha
& COPY EDITOR
Megan Breukelman
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Laura Campbell
Contributors
Lucia Fatima Saskia Lawson Matthew Burditt Nick Eucker
Oleg Oprisco Rosa Furneaux Emma Lavelle Scott Mason
Switzerland / United Kingdom / Canada / America / Ukraine
8 Atlas Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY Lucia Fatima
9
PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Eucker
10 Atlas Magazine
D
ear Readers,
Blue is the favourite colour of so many people. It’s a calming, serene colour, associated with so many things that make us happy; the sea, and blue skies spring to
mind immediately, and what’s more comforting than
that? We’ve gone with a very specific theme this issue, Azure, which has made the selection process different to what we’re used to. This issue is probably the most cohesive that we’ve ever put together, and I’m so proud of it.
With such a specific idea in mind of what we were looking for,
it made what had to be cut from the issue harder to
bare than usual —normally there’s a bit more wiggle room! But overall, I think you’ll agree with me, that it’s polished, beautiful and very, very Azure.
I have to take a moment to talk about how inspiring I
found Oleg Oprisco’s interview for this issue. If you’ve never seen his work before, you’d be forgiven for
thinking it was all a big photoshop composite. When you realise that
his entire portfolio has been created on film, it blows your mind. He
is probably one of the most inspiring, exciting and
dedicated people that I’ve ever interviewed, and I think
when you read the piece, you’ll see what I mean. Take
my word for it, and read it. You’ll feel ready to take on those big dreams of yours without any hesitation. Love,
Olivia
11
By Olivia Bossert
ARTICLE
INTERVIEW WITH: Photographer OLEG Oprisco Tell us about yourself. I’m 27 and I was born in the small town of Lviv, in Western Ukraine. My childhood was very ordinary. I don’t really remember having any creative skills at an early age! All I thought about was football back then. When I was 16 years old, I begin working in a small photo lab. I colour-corrected and saw thousands of images every day.
What do you photography?
love
most
about
I like that photography makes it possible to transfer the thoughts in my head to other people. The camera is such a terrific tool, like a pen or a paint brush. What is important is that each viewer sees their own version and understands each photo individually. Everyone is different. It might depend on where they live or what their education was like or life experiences. It’s amazing! My mission is simple; after viewing my work, I want them to feel the same way as they would after finishing a great book or seeing an exciting film.
12 Atlas Magazine
I think it was then that I got an understanding of what colours I like, as well as what other people like. Then I got my first camera; a Nikon D50. I started taking photos of friends and acquaintances. When I was 23, I began to get even more creative–– and those are the images that you can see here.
You had a go at commercial style photography but it didn’t sit right with you. How did that feel and how did you know to move on from that? At age 19, I moved to Kiev, where I became an assistant to a well-known advertising photographer. We worked together for three years, but that work didn’t make me happy. There was no creativity, only commerce. It was then that I understood how important freedom in creativity is to me and how I love to control every moment in my photographs. So I turned the process upside down, and now I’m free to create any piece I want. It’s only after I’ve taken it that myself and my managers look to sell the images. At the time of transformation, it is so important to believe in yourself and not hope for instant results. When you create something that you love, you receive maximum results. If you love something enough, others will too.
What equipment do you use?
I have a lot film cameras but I still mostly use my first camera: Kiev 6C, and a set of optics for this bayonet: 50mm/f4, 90mm/f2.8 and a 300mm/f4.
Why do you only shoot film?
It’s hard to summarise. First, the difference in the process of shooting. I only have 12 chances so it’s so important to get each frame right. You press the shutter button but you don’t really know what has happened. It’s a crazy mix of luck, calculation, planning and more luck! Secondly, it is the properties of the film and optics. The film creates a totally unique colour, and long-focus lenses give unique depth. I have tested many digital medium format cameras, but I can’t find a platform which guarantees the same quality. I also love it when I’m teaching a workshop and my students turn up with equipment worth $3-5000, and there I am with my $50 Kiev 6C. l think that it helps people realise that it’s about the photographer, and not the camera.
13
Your images tell such incredible stories. Where do you get the inspiration for your work?
Each of my photos is a scene from real life. That is the perfect source of inspiration for me as there is so much beauty out there. Perhaps today on your way to work, when you were observing the world around you, that was what inspired my next photo. Of course, I make alternations to my reality. I change the characters, use props, choose the location, and the light. I just never stop looking for inspiration.
How long does an image take to create from start to finish?
I have a notebook filled with ideas. Preparations take two to three days; building the props and making sure they’re how I want them. Then it is a matter of weather, people and mood. Sometimes there’s not actually enough money for me to create what I have in my head, so that has an impact. Sometimes a shoot doesn’t go to plan. But I learn from every shoot I do.
What has been your biggest struggle as a photographer?
I think the biggest problem for a photographer is laziness, or bad organisation. Making sure you spend an extra day to get the right props, or the right dress, or even the right weather. A good photograph is the sum of many small parts, but each part is well-thought out and elaborated. If it’s something you cannot create alone, look for like-minded people: designers, photographers, or simply creative friends to help you find the right idea when shooting.
14 Atlas Magazine
Article Oleg Oprisco
Do you do any post-production work to your images? How do you create the props you use for your images? I spend a lot of time preparing for the process, so all the effects are real. Of course, each frame is scanned and edited on the computer, but the base is created on location. It’s important to remember that the even the best post-processing in the world can’t make a bad photo into a good one. I’m used to doing everything myself. I don’t have assistants, so sometimes the preparation for shoots can take several days. It usually involves lots of experimentation and test shooting. For example, the frame with a burning umbrella was shot on the sixth day of the shoot. It took more than 50 umbrellas, because I couldn’t find the umbrella which burned beautifully, but was also safe for the model. Even though I know that it would be so much easier to just do it all in Photoshop, it’s more important to me that it was a real moment. That’s why I never give up.
15
Do you think the internet has had an impact on your career? Of course. Any artist of the 18th and 19th century would be very jealous of us! We can live anywhere and create anything and share it with the whole world. Everything is in the palm of our hands.
What would you say is your favourite photograph you’ve ever taken? I don’t think I’ve taken it yet.
16 Atlas Magazine
Article Oleg Oprisco
If you could give our readers any advice for their careers, what would it be? I strongly advise to use your time wisely. Laziness is your worst enemy. Stop looking at all the photographs taken by your idols. You’ve commented on enough work that you hate. It’s time to take photos. Your best photos. Let go and shoot, shoot, shoot!
What’s next for you, and for your career? Do you have any big dreams?
I don’t plan anything. But I promise it will be interesting.
17
18 Atlas Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHER MODEL STYLING HAIR & MAKEUP LOCATION
Lucia Fatima Anna @ Scout Model Agency Amanda Samantha Brook Carmen Segattini Neubad, Lucern
HIGHLIGHTS
PREVIOUS PAGE /
ENTIRE LOOK Zara
19
20 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
PREVIOUS PAGE /
CLOTHES Zara
TOP Bruuns Bazaar SKIRT Vintage By Dotti’s Lovely Vintage And Labels
21
22 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
PREVIOUSE PAGE /
SHOES Stylist’s Own
DRESS Sandro SOCKS & SHOES Stylist
23
THIS PAGE /
ENTIRE LOOK Anna-Louise Sleep By Dotti’s Lovely Vintage And Labels
NEXT PAGE /
24 Atlas Magazine
TOP Bruuns Bazaar SKIRT Vintage By Dotti’s Lovely Vintage And Labels
25
26 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
ROBE & SHORTS Ganaho Label NECKLACE Jakimac TIGHTS American Aprarel THIS SPREAD / SHOESYohji ENTIREYamamoto LOOK Maje
27
THIS PAGE /
BAG Aada Clutch (Smk) By Dotti’s Lovely Vintage And Labels
NEXT PAGE /
28 Atlas Magazine
BELT Jakimac
29
THIS PAGE /
ENTIRE LOOK 7 For All Mankind
BLOOD ROSES PHOTOGRAPHER MODEL STYLING HAIR MAKEUP NAILS 30 Atlas Magazine
Matthew Burditt Josina @ Next Canada Steph Janyk Katrina Molson Jon Hennessey @ Nobasura Stefania Flex
THIS PAGE /
TOP Stylist’s Own
31
PREVIOUS PAGE /
DRESS, SKIRT & COAT Stylist’s Own SHIRT Laurence Doligé Paris SHOES Acne Studios @ Gravity Pope Tailored Goods
32 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
PREVIOUS PAGE /
DRESS & TOP Stylist’s Own
TOP Stylist’s Own TROUSERS Steven Thomas SHOES Topshop
33
BOTH PAGES /
34 Atlas Magazine
TOP Topshop TROUSERS Stylist’s Own SHOES Isabel Marant Étoile @ Gravity Pope Tailored Goods
35
BOTH PAGES / 36 Atlas Magazine
DRESS Annie Kuan JACKET Alexander Wang @ Gravity Pope Tailored Goods SHOES Stylist’s Own
37
38 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
PREVIOUS PAGE /
DRESS Annie Kuan JACKET Alexander Wang @ Gravity Pope Tailored Goods
DRESS, SKIRT & COAT Stylist’s Own SHIRT Laurence Doligé Paris 39
By Emma Lavelle
ARTICLE
DENIM DAZE Where would we be without denim? Does anyone in the Western world not own at least one pair of jeans? Our legs have been clad with this versatile material for centuries; a 1969 American Fabrics magazine article states that “Denim is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, yet it remains eternally young.” Through a fusion of popular culture, timeless style icons, and the sheer versatility and practicality of the fabric, denim has stood the test of time and continues to be embraced by younger generations. But where did it originate from?
40 Atlas Magazine
The origins of the first use of denim as a material are somewhat ambiguous. Most sources state that denim first appeared as a serge fabric in the town of Nimes, France. This tale tells that the André family were attempting to replicate an Italian corduroy when they inadvertently created the first form of denim, naming it serge de Nimes. Other stories have the fabric emerging in England, albeit bearing the same name, possibly due to British merchants discovering the French fabric and creating their own material and using the name to create an exotic aesthetic. Whichever tale is true, denim made its way across the Atlantic Ocean, and American textile mills began weaving the fabric. It was the birth of the Gold Rush in the 19th Century that began to propel denim into popularity. Miners were in need of material that could withstand harsh conditions as they worked long, grueling hours outdoors, and this new hard-wearing and inexpensive material was the ideal fit. Subsequently, denim began its days as the perfect uniform for manual workers.
ILLUSTRATIONS Scott Mason
It was Levi Strauss who created the very first pair of denim jeans as we know today, originally named ‘waist-overalls’. Together with tailor Jacob Davis, Strauss used denim to create copper riveted trousers for the workers. Branching out beyond the miners, these early jeans began to be worn by those working on the railroads, working on farms, and working on cattle ranches. Subsequently, the cowboys of the American West began wearing denim jeans, and they grew in popularity as the cowboys rode to further towns. Denim remained a fabric worn by labourers and banned from establishments such as hotels, restaurants and schools until the 1950s, when post-War American pop culture really took off. Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One saw James Dean and Marlon Brando grace the silver screen wearing denim jeans. Hordes of young men began to imitate their style, partially as a form of rebellion. Teenage boys wearing jeans were initially seen as rebels on both sides of the Atlantic, with British rockers pairing their Levi’s with black leather jackets and motorcycles. It wasn’t until Marilyn Monroe wore a pair of blue jeans in The Misfits that the trend began to catch on for women. The blonde bombshell then famously teamed a pair of high-waisted blue jeans with an offthe-shoulder white blouse for her 1954 film, River of No Return; further proving that denim could be styled in a feminine way and could have sex appeal. The iconic pose of Marilyn laid on the grass clutching her chest was subsequently used as a reference for a series of Guess Jeans advertisements in the 1990s. 41
42 Atlas Magazine
ARTICLE Fast forward to 1979, and we get our first glimpse of denim hot-pants with the scantily-clad appearance of Daisy Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard TV series. Actress Catherine Bach was notorious for her classic outfit of an unbuttoned checked shirt tied at the waist, worn with a tiny pair of cut-off denim shorts that showed off her long legs. By now, denim was well and truly a fabric embraced by both genders and many different subcultures. It was practical, it was stylish, and it could even be sexy.
Denim Daze
It was no surprise that it was Kate Moss who hailed the return of skinny jeans at the beginning of the new millennium. Photographed with her then boyfriend, rock royalty Pete Doherty, Moss wore a simple pair of skinny jeans tucked into a pair of cowboy boots. Both high-end designers and the high street instantly tapped into the trend, with skinny jeans quickly becoming a wardrobe staple. The skinnier the better seemed to be the mantra of many, with women of all ages wearing jeans that showed off their feminine curves. Whilst skinny jeans are still a popular wardrobe staple, it is flares and straight-leg styles that are currently being heralded as en vogue by fashion insiders. Denim jackets, shirts, skirts, dresses and accessories are all popular staples in women’s wardrobes, sitting beside their pairs of beloved jeans. We look to street style snaps, famous fashion bloggers, reality TV stars and our favourite Instagrammers when delving into new trends. If Kim Kardashian steps out in a matching double denim shirt-and-skinnies combination, then that will be the trend that filters down onto the high street and into the wardrobes of thousands. Style has become a form of imitation, and denim is an affordable and simple way to replicate the looks worn by your favourite style icons.
The downside to the popularisation of denim from the fifties onwards, was that the demand quickly became too great for traditional looms to cope. Mass manufacturing took over, using modern equipment, synthetic dye and pre-washed fabrics, churning out thousands of pairs of jeans–– at a much lower quality. Up until relatively recently, this was the norm. The majority of denim devotees preferred their jeans cheap and cheerful. Japanese brands slowly took up the luxury denim helm in the late eighties, shipping over the ancient American looms and crafting jeans the traditional way. Now monopolising the luxury denim market, each pair of Japanese selvage jeans is a true one of a kind with unique stitching, deep blue colour (achieved through using Denim jeans have stood the test of indigo dye) and distinguishable time and remain a core part of both straight clean hems. men’s and women’s wardrobes. When looking back over their illustrious We’re still incredibly susceptible history, you realise how a humble to influences from popular culture item of clothing has transformed when it comes to denim. We may not itself predominantly through popular become as enamoured with movie culture to become possibly the most stars as our parents’ generation, but essential piece of clothing in any the style, colour and fit of the denim closet. You could almost say that that we wear is certainly dictated by denim jeans themselves were the very celebrity culture. first pop culture crush.
43
44 Atlas Magazine
THIS SPREAD /
COAT Pamplemousse TOP Escio JUMPER Vintage SKIRT COS SHOES Berenik
BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHER MODEL STYLING HAIR MAKEUP PRODUCTION
Nick Eucker Ella @ Marilyn NY Karolina Borchert-Hunter Michael Fernandez for Evo Hair Products Maria Ortega for OCC Makeup Jaime Richter
45
THIS PAGE /
46 Atlas Magazine
COAT Berenik JUMPER Vintage TROUSERS Reiss
NEXT PAGE /
COAT Pamplemousse SHOES Berenik
47
48 Atlas Magazine
THIS SPREAD /
JUMPER Gudrun & Gudrun TOP & Other Stories TROUSERS Zara
49
BOTH PAGES /
50 Atlas Magazine
VEST & TOP Heike TURTLENECK Zara TROUSERS & Other Stories
51
By Megan Breukelman
ARTICLE
WINTER BLUES
I was just fooled by slush into thinking it was a sidewalk. My shoes are soaked through, I’m late for work from transit delays and my hands are too numb from the cold to even text this frustration to eight different people. It doesn’t matter anyways, half of them are recovering from colds and staying inside. It’s January 2016, and I am not feeling it.
persistence and discipline get us through our days until we get to crawl back into bed. There are new years resolutions unfulfilled (my gym membership’s ghost haunts me daily) and a swift lack of holidays after the general festivities of October to December.
The pessimistic bah-humbug in me wants so badly to write winter off Winter is a bit of a rough time for entirely. But that’s not fair to winter, everyone; we’re cold, tired, and to myself or to those around me. So the sun is often too sleepy to make instead, I’m finding ways to beat the an appearance–– but nonetheless, winter blues.
Our body and physical shape represents who and what we are to the world. 52 Atlas Magazine
Find love in the weather.
Rain, snow, sleet–– it’s there, it’s unstoppable and it’s coming for you and your weekend plans. So, make it a part of your weekend plans. Go out and take pictures, by yourself or with friends. Instagram the weather; beauty can be found in all kinds of weather. Except hail. I don’t condone running around in hail. Take a walk on a particularly disastrous day. Let your hair get messed up by the wind, the water, the ice (as long as you’re bundled up!)
Find love in the fashion.
Sweaters, sweaters, sweaters. Did I mention how great sweaters are? Not to mention the variety of scarves, hats, mittens and boots there are. Basically, winter fashion is everything. Layers are your friend. How cozy is it to bundle up on a cold day and be in layers on layers of comfortable and chic, warm attire? It’s like taking your bed with you to work. Love your layers.
Find love in the food.
Hot chocolate. Coffee. Tea. Warm cider. The creators of these drinks deserve all of the awards. All of them. Walking down the street with a warm drink and feeling it course through you during a chilly and less-than-pleasant commute is the most satisfying feeling. Not to mention the foods that pair
along with these; biscuits, cookies, brownies, soups… basically, the finer things in life.
Find love in the time inside.
All the time inside avoiding the unpleasant reality of winter can leave you with a lot of downtime. This also leaves you with an opportunity. To learn, to create or just to relax. Reading books and magazines bundled up in blankets doesn’t sound like too bad of an evening to me. Turning on a new series on Netflix and getting caught up in a binge-watching session? Sign me up. Writing, painting, drawing, collaging, cooking–– anything to get your creative gears turning while confined to four walls. That time inside is valuable if you use it to your advantage.
Find love in you.
The key to making a brighter time on dark days–– loving yourself. Did you make a resolution that is sitting on the back burner? It doesn’t matter, so long as you’re happy with yourself. Get a bath bomb and lie back in the warmth, bake some cookies, take some selfies in the snow; show yourself some love because you deserve it. Are you going to let this season get to you, or are you going to own it? The winter blues come and go, and I know that we’re all looking forward to spring. But while it’s here, we have to accept the existence of it. It’s about owning it and making it yours. Why wait it out when you can live it out? 53
54 Atlas Magazine
THIS PAGE /
TOP & SKIRT Steventai BAG Baia SHOES Carolin Holzhuber GLASSES Kitty Joseph RING Mawi
THIS PAGE /
HAT The Season Hats JUMPSUIT Vanessa Gounden
BLUE HUE PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT MODEL STYLING HAIR MAKEUP
Saskia Lawson Kayla Brooke Millie Morgan @ Models1 Sarah Mughal Kieron Lavine Lauren Alice @ Mandy Coakley Represents
55
56 Atlas Magazine
BOTH PAGES /
TOP Jane Bowler NECKLACE Mawi BELT Jane Bowler SKIRT Yuzzo SHOES Carolin Holzhuber
57
THIS PAGE /
DRESS Three Floor BELT Kitty Joseph NECKLACE Jane Bowler RING Mawi
NEXT PAGE / 58 Atlas Magazine
SKIRT Minki Cheng MESH TOP Steventai CUT OUT TOP & GLASSES Kitty Joseph BELT Sevda BRACELET Mawi HAT A Child Of The Jago
59
60 Atlas Magazine
BOTH PAGES /
DRESS Kitty Joseph HEADPIECE Jane Bowler BAG Gyunel SHOES Reiss RINGS Gemporia
61
62 Atlas Magazine
BOTH PAGES /
HAT The Season Hats JUMPSUIT Vanessa Gounden SHOES Prada RINGS Gemporia
63
ARTICLE
By Rosa Furneaux
Waves and Wonder: How the Ocean Influences Artists
From Claude Monet to Ansel Adams, the ocean has always been a source of inspiration to artists across the globe. Rosa Furneaux explores what it is that draws creatives to the sea, and how water influences artists in unexpected ways.
Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Seascapes are bleak and deceptively simple. His large-format black-and-white photographs show the sea and the sky meeting at a horizon line which slices, perfectly, each image exactly in half. Presented one after the other, the photographs seem to repeat themselves, though they were taken in locations all over the world. They show a strange blurring of change and consistency, near and far, the recognisable and the unknown. Sugimoto calls the experience of making these works, “a voyage of seeing.” I’m intrigued by what draws artists to oceans, again and again, across the world, so I set sail on my own journey to try and find an answer.
UNTITLED/ Rosa Furneaux
64 Atlas Magazine
Finding Home My background is in photography, so I start my expedition by asking friends in my circles how they feel about water and their work. I realise quickly that, like Sugimoto’s Seascapes, their answers draw surprising parallels and unusual disparities.
UNTITLED/ Whitney Justesen
Whitney Justesen, a travelling photographer from California, USA, views the sea as an unchanging constant in her life. “I grew up just a few minutes away from a lake, a few hours from the ocean,” she tells me, “If I wasn’t in a natural body of water, I was swimming in my backyard pool for hours—pretending to be a mermaid or a scuba diver, or just floating on my back and soaking in the sun.” Moving to Utah for college, she left behind a key element of her childhood. Her photography, she soon realised, began to feature water as a main theme, “almost as though I was calling back to an old friend through my work. I think that is one way I can connect to my childhood through what I create.” Though her work takes her across the United States–– and sometimes further afield–– returning to water themes allows her to settle easily in new places. “The ocean will always be home to me.”
65
SWEETHEART WHAT HAVE YOU DONE/ Whitney Justesen
VAST/ Sarah Nieman
Changing Tides Where Whitney is attracted to water for its familiar quality, student photographer Sarah Nieman is drawn to its unpredictable nature. Her senior project explored the human figure in nature, and she returned to waterfalls and shorelines in her native New Hampshire to shoot her final pieces. “I drew a lot of energy from them,” she says, “I love how the tones looked against skin. I think that water in art is beautiful no matter what. It’s fun to play with, and it’s always changing. Waterfalls trickle and then pour down rock faces after rain, the tides of the ocean ebb and flow to show different parts of the ocean floor. Rain and waves wear down rock faces so that nothing is ever the same.” This constant re-creating, she thinks, is what artists find so inspiring about water. Sarah’s thoughts on changeability lead me to consider the mysteries of the ocean. Perhaps this is another reason for our artistic fascination with water; artists, of course, are wonderful interpreters of the unknown.
THE SIREN/ Ana Luisa Pinto 66 Atlas Magazine
SHALLOW/ Sarah Nieman
o
Article Waves and Wonder
THE MERMAID AND THE LIGHT/ Ana Luisa Pinto
Story-Lands Ana Luísa Pinto is a fine art photographer from Porto, Portugal, a city on the sea, steeped in nautical history. Like Whitney, she sees the ocean as a home-place, but also a site of great unknown. First and foremost a storyteller, she uses this space to explore what might be. “All the mythology associated with water – from sirens to pirates, to shells and pebbles, even Candomblé and African religions – are props and themes that I have used prominently in my work,” she tells me. Her photographs pay homage to her own family history and to the
other stories which influenced her growing up in Porto. These narratives, she says, “provide me with characters and iconography that I can translate and transform” in self-portraiture. She describes her photograph, The Siren (left), as an “almost Disney-esque characterisation” in which she is recreated in a mythical persona. It’s a character of startling fusion, at once reminiscent of legends told through the ages on the Portuguese coast, later commercialised in bright technicolour, and finally returned anew in Ana Luísa’s baroque aesthetic. 67
Another Form of Creativity But where Ana Luísa looks to stories to inspire her work, my friend Alex Phillips turns to science. An oceanographer from San Diego, California, Alex is also a photographer working with primarily 35mm film. Her relationship with the ocean is unique. She describes her work as a scientist as “another form of creativity”, more akin to art than you might imagine. “With science, I had the chance to approach creativity from an intellectual standpoint rather than from behind a lens,” she says, though it was photographing the Californian coast which first inspired her to pursue oceanography. “I’ve never tired of photographing such an enigmatic subject. Even now, when I am exhausted from studying the ocean, I’m always drawn to point my lens towards
UNTITLED/ Alex Phillips
68 Atlas Magazine
the sea.” It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. As Alex points out, “I study the carbon cycle, which directly relates to the future of our coral reefs, tide pools, and surf spots. It is hard to look out at my favorite place and not want to study to save it.” From the sun-drenched shores of the American west coast, my treasure map leads me on a meandering trail towards home. I feel like there’s a white whale in the room–– something important about understanding visual art and the sea which hasn’t breached the waves in my discussions yet. My instinct is right, but it’s a painter, not a photographer, who first mentions it to me.
Article Waves and Wonder
UNTITLED/ Emily Tapp
Coming to Light “There’s a certain quality about the light in coastal towns,” Emily Tapp says, “The clarity of natural light here is like no other.” Emily lives in Cornwall, on the south-west coast of England, where she’s studying for a Fine Art degree. Arriving at university just a few months ago, she quickly found herself drawn to the coastal town’s architecture, and to the colours which infused her new life by the sea: blues, greys, copper oranges, and mustard yellows. “These muted tones,” she tells me, “mirror the colours taken from an overcast day on the beach, vibrant glimpses of fishing net floaters, and the golden shades of the sand.” She also has a particular love for deep, aquamarine blue. Working in acrylics, with masking tape and rollers, her work depicts the architectural forms of her new town against the shifting palette of the British coastline. But everything, she affirms, is informed by her home’s particular light. “The iridescent daylight in this coastal town has me feeling more expressive and at ‘home’ in my creative mind than ever.” 69
Reflecting Pools Like Sugimoto’s Seascapes, when I look through the interviews I’ve had with artists, their reflections on art and the ocean share a samebut-different quality. Each one is influenced by the same element but, at their heart, few share the same motivations or intentions in how they use water in their work. As the sea separates and connects our countries, these artists are simultaneously divided and united in their ideas. There is one thought, though, which appears like a motif, caught again and again in the tide of our conversations. “I think creative people are often drawn to the water because it can be used to express so many different kinds of emotions,” Alex tells me. “If you need to be sad the waves can be furious. If you need to be calm, the sounds at night can be soothing. If you need to be happy, you just need to look at the sunset.” For Ana Luísa, “Water means stability, a quiet happiness. For other people, it might mean turbulence, or cleanse, or freedom. I believe it acts a bit like a blank piece of paper: water can be anything we need it to be, whenever we need it. It’s almost like a mirror, it’s a tryout of our emotions and our feelings.”
70 Atlas Magazine
It’s Cierra Benavidez, a fine art photographer from Santa Barbara, California, who I think explains it best. For Cierra, born and raised in a beach town where she could hear the sea lions barking from the shore, the sea is the metaphorical self. “I tend to compare the ocean to ourselves; the waves are a constant coming and going, and although one is never the same as another, it’s constant and never ending. It’s vast and mostly unexplored, so I tend to compare that to everyone’s inner self. We’re always growing, always learning new things about ourselves, always flowing–– and deeper than we think.” It’s a powerful idea. The self as vast, fierce, and holding indefinite multitudes has seduced artists of all mediums for generations. Cierra’s passionate and tempestuous photographs express an inner experience, intense and reflective, for which the ocean is the perfect image. “I prefer those dark, cold, stormy days where the waves are bashing against the rocks and the sky is threatening to let loose,” she tells me, “Those have always been the days where I’ve created my best work.”
Article Waves and Wonder
SHIVER/ Cierra Benavidez
Cierra, of course, isn’t the only artist to have used a Zeus-like stormy muse in the making of her art. In 2012, Sugimoto’s storeroom in New York City was flooded in Hurricane Sandy. It took three days to pump the basement dry, and his five-panel photographic work, The Last Supper was irrevocably damaged by the seawater. Sugimoto, though, was delighted. “I chose to interpret this as the invisible hand of God coming down to bring my monumental, but unfinished Last Supper to completion.” Recently exhibited, his photograph proves the ocean itself is capable of creating an unexpected and astonishing masterpiece.
MELANCHOLY/ Cierra Benavidez 71
Next MINI Issue Submissions March 1st - April 30th
THE ADVENTURE ISSUE Read our submission guidelines at www.theatlasmagazine.com/mini-atlas-submissions Submit your work to submissions@theatlasmagazine.com
72 Atlas Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY Lucia Fatima
73
74 Atlas Magazine
