My First Cult gets another chance to chat to photographer Alex Boyd about his latest exhibition and his collaborations with the Dresden Dolls while getting slightly worried about the kind of props he has lying about his house.
My First Cult: So this is the second exhibition of yours this year - how does this one compare to your exhibition in Irvine?
Alex Boyd: The first exhibition in Irvine was pretty large, composed of some 30 images, and did not really have a unified theme as such. This time however things are a bit more developed out in thought, as I had some time to think about how I wanted to present myself, and what I wanted to achieve.
It is also in Glasgow in an incredibly busy venue, so has a potentially larger audience, which again changes my approach.
MFC: How did this one come about?
AB: I have always been a fan of what the 13th Note has shown, as it has always supported local artists, and has a pretty eclectic mixture of photography and painting exhibitions, and I always thought that I would like to get my own output up on the wall. After submitting a portfolio, they agreed to let me show for a few weeks in May.
MFC: What kind of photos can we expect to see this time round?
AB: With the Glasgow exhibition I decided that it would be interesting to limit myself purely to black and white photography, and to choose the theme of depicting the last year of my life. This ranges from my travels north; through to some of the bands I have photographed in the last year, to living in the West coast of Scotland with depictions of landscape and townscapes for example.
MFC: You're also working with the Dresden Dolls - can you tell us a bit about that and how that all came to be?
AB: The Dresden Dolls have always appealed to me with the way that they draw influence from Brecht, Cabaret and the early punk bands, mixing it with an aesthetic which recalls Weimar-era Germany and all its decadence.
Having spoken to the band on their last tour, I became aware of an international organisation known as 'The Brigade' which works under the bands direction at their various shows, composed of artists, musicians, photographers and performers ranging from living statues to flame breathing acrobats to burlesque.
Recently they brought out a new album 'Yes, Virginia' and as part of the promotional tour they required artists to work with them.
For the UK stretch of the tour I collaborated with them for a series of large images which would be shown around the venues as wall displays. Initially this was for the Scottish dates only, however they have also been taken south, and will be used for the rest of the tour which culminates with a show at the London Astoria.
I should also say that Kim Diamond, a talented local artist, also contributed to the tour with what could be called 'mobile art', which is painted on records to be hung around peoples necks, and will also follow the band on tour.
MFC: Can you explain some of the imagery used from your series of works for the Dresden dolls?
AB: Well, the imagery I employed plays with almost stereotypical German representations such as militaristic uniforms and aircraft, however I am parodying this in the 'Flugzeug' (aeroplane) series, as it is composed of some 40 toy aeroplanes, which are reminiscent of childhood, and lie in a confused mass, but yet still have an underlying threat, reminiscent of the work of Gerhard Richter and his paintings such as 'Stuka'.
Obviously the military uniforms are slightly more sinister and blatant, as they are of the design synonymous with the Wehrmacht, however this is a nod to Austrian artist Gottfried Heinwein, who often uses this imagery to explore the German identity, which I couple with traditional male and female attributes such as aggression and compassion respectively.
MFC: You've managed to acquire some interesting props - planes and uniforms - for this series of photos. Are these things you normally have lying about the house?
AB: Well the uniforms are my own, I seem to collect them and have a fascination with them, coming from a military family perhaps, as for the planes, well they are left over from some 400 I had to distribute as part of a job for the company I work for, which works with some major label acts. I believe it is easier to personalise the images when you use props from around the home.
MFC: Does the equipment you use limit what you can achieve?
AB: Very much so. I have been previously working with an old Canon film SLR. However, it is costly to develop films when digital can offer so much more. I have, in the last year, been working with Fuji and Sony compacts respectively which, although do not have large lenses, have given me a greater mobility so to speak.
The equipment is relatively cheap (a few hundred pounds) however has limits which make me push the cameras harder, which I feel many photographers with a wider range of equipment simply don't do. I also have no photography schooling and am self taught through experience, which I believe also has a strong influence on what I do, as I believe many colleges of photography are producing identikit photographers producing the same images ad-nauseum, with a teaching that eliminates a certain freedom in thought.
MFC: Of your exploits in the world of photography this year, what have been your favourite moments?
AB: Starting off, being shortlisted for the BBC was a good achievement for me. However, getting the opportunity to work with some of my favourite artists has been a great pleasure - the feedback from the exhibitions has also been gratefully received!
I never really have time to enjoy the moment however, as I am always looking towards the next thing..
My First Cult: So what's next on the horizon?
AB: I am currently working on some pieces for the David Bowie Art Show in New York in September, as well as preparing the next round of exhibitions. I may take some time out from showing to build up my catalogue, and concentrate on exploring new avenues in photography.
I am also trying to get a group of photographers together to do some collaborative shows in the near future.
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You can catch Alex's exhibition at Glasgow's 13th Note Cafe until 14th May.
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