Where does your photography come from? Nick Meek : I was born in the North of England where it can be quite grey and the summers are quite short. I think this had a huge effect on me as a human being…. It made me hungry for warmth and colour and, I suppose, adventure. It made me want to explore the world and that I think my photographs show… more than anything else a world that is full of light… I think most of my pictures have quite a positive feeling.
What is the decisive moment for you ?
N. M : It depends because I like to shoot all kinds of subjects.
If I’m shooting a landscape with no signs of human life the decisive moment is purely base upon finding the right composition and waiting for the most beautiful / appropriate light….it can take hours. It all depends on the subject matter. For me the important thing is creating a picture that evokes some kind of feeling and atmosphere…and perhaps gives viewer a sense of time and place.
What inspires your work ?
N. M : Inspiration comes from lots of places. Friends, books, TV… other artists. I remember having a day trip to the British Museum in London, I was in the anthology department looking at photographs of birds. The photo’s were displayed as illuminated transparencies and over time the light had bleached and changed the colours. I was already planning a trip to Yosemite National Park to pay homage to the great photographer Ansel Adams and the colours I saw that day inspired the way that I photographed and treated that subject.
The Kyoto Taxi Stand that I mentioned earlier really reminded me of Jaques Tatti’s film Play Time.
What is the link between your commercial work and your artistic work?
N. M : To be very honest I see myself as a photographer who is learning to become an artist. When I was younger I was always amazed at how the advertising industry seemed to use the very best talent and how they took so much inspiration from the art world. This really encouraged me as a young photographer and gave me the confidence to go out there and only photograph the subjects that I loved… knowing / hoping that those images would be well received.
So when I am commissioned to shoot an advertising campaign I stay as close to my aesthetic as possible as I’m usually hired to recreate a commercial version of my personal work.
What’s a bigger priority for you: a large ad campaign or a gallery show?
N. M : I have been extremely fortunate to collaborate on many great ad campaigns… and hope to do many more ! Above all my priority is to continue growing as an artist and I really hope that this will open even more doors in both the art world and the commercial world.
What trends do you see in photography today?
N. M : I think the trend right now is ‘do anything !’ I still remember the pre internet days when the only way of seeing new work was to go to a gallery, watch tv or open a book or magazine and I think that process lead to very strong photographic trends. Photographers were more influenced by one another back then as information flowed very slowly and I believe the trends were more exaggerated.
Now it’s possible to see anything by anyone and I believe that this freedom of exchange has massively accelerated the way photographers think about making images and this has given people the confidence and need to create new styles.
REPRESENTATION
FRANCE : FLORENCE MOLL – www.florencemoll.com
UK & EUROPE : SIOBHAN SQUIRE – www.siobhansquire.com
USA : LEVINE/LEAVITT – www.llreps.com
Interviewed by Séverine Morel
