Kostis Fokas enjoys the role of photographer-provocateur that the national and international media tag him with, while continuing to bridge the gap between nudity and humor with his work. His latest exhibition “I’m not malfunctioning, You are” at the Dalston Superstore in London, is a testament to that, just a short time before his residency at Atopos in January.
Text/Interview: Efi Alevizou
#1. Tell us a few words about your latest exhibition.
“I’m not Malfunctioning, You Are” is my first photographic project. I started working on it in September of 2012 and have now reached this point. The whole process started rather spontaneously, through my need to create. I completely dove into it, it was that important to me. As time passed, my curiosity and excitement made me go deeper into my project, it forced me to turn my tendency to be an introvert into creativity, to create a sequence of images. Through these images, I discovered and tried to accept myself. I feel immensely proud of having been able to work so studiously and complete this project. With my London exhibition coming up, I decided to close the project and keep it as a tool that I could use in the future.
#2. dazeddigital.com lavished you with praise. How does that make you feel?
It makes me want to take better photos.
#3. Based on your nude photos, the dazeddigital.com journalist assumes that you’re not shy. Is that true?
I’d say that in the past I was a lot shyer.
#4. You deal with nudity with a funny and guilt-free way. What’s the message you’re trying to convey through this?
I just needed to have a good time and suggest the same to anyone looking at my work. I feel that I’ve rid myself of guilt through these images and I wanted to approach the human form in the same way. I decided to add a surrealistic element and some humor to my work and thus create a lighter atmosphere and that was the point when I realized that I was creating something of import, at least for me.
#5. Can fashion and nudity meet in a photography?
Nudity is always in fashion.
#6. You’re often tagged with the title of photographer-provocateur. Is that a tag you agree with?
I like that tag!
#7. You’ve managed to create your own style of photography. What would you call it and what are its characteristics?
I think I would go with freestyle photography. I don’t think that there is such a term, at least officially, it is however a term that describes how I understand art, how it inspires me and helps me create. Those two words together make sense to me. Freedom and style are two terms that perfectly represent my work.
