Patricia Voulgaris is a 22 year old artist from New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2013 and received a BFA in photography. Her work has been exhibited in New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. She is interested in exploring the relationship between photography and sculpture, and recently received a residency from The Camera Club of New York.
Why did you choose photography as a means to create and communicate?
I first became interested in photography when I was in high school. I instantly fell in love with it, when I developed my first photograph in the darkroom. I was fortunate to be exposed to photography at a young age and it has stuck with me ever since. At the time, it became a plausible and accessible tool that allowed me to express my concepts clearly. Plus, encouragement from my teachers to continue practicing photography after high school, helped as well.
What are your main influences?
I am inspired by fellow artists, places, sculptures, memories, fashion and of course the internet. It’s hard to pin point an actual source of inspiration. I am influenced by many contemporary collage artists and photographers. Some of them include Thomas Demand, Daniel Gordon, Taryn Simon, Nan Goldin, Peter Hujar, Diane Arbus, Man Ray, Roger Ballen, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Hannah Hoch, Ruth van Beek, Tintin Cooper, Leigh Wells, the list goes on and on.
Do you believe we can see more when focusing on the minor details?
To some extent the answer is yes. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to step back and look at the whole picture. Regardless, the answer lies within the artist’s subconscious.
How do you choose which photo you will break downand then reconstruct in your own way?
I tend to break down my photographs in two ways, both physically and intellectually. I attempt to challenge the space in which my photographs are created. Physical manipulation and reconstruction occurs quite frequently. To a certain degree, every image is constructed and then deconstructed until I am content with the results.
How do your memories of a certain person or event influence your art?
Memories influence my art considerably. Memory is a precious and unique brain function. I constantly recall personal memories in order to create my photographs. Without it, we would not know who we are.
Why do you use only black and white?Do you think it adds a certain depth and helps you focus more on what you have to say?
For this particular series, I concentrated on using black and white because I wanted the images to become graphic. I relayed heavily on the contrast to create layers and manipulate the space. The black and white adds a certain depth and richness. It became important to retain some aspect of traditional black and white photography throughout this series.
Interview by Nelly Skoufatoglou
