Interview with Guy Gross for THE magazine of the Arts Santa Fe

The most important talent to shoot documentary photographs is to be in the right place at the right time and not to miss an opportunity when it occurs.

THE magazine: You've said that the initial process in your photography is "similar to writing poetry." Explain what you mean by that statement.

Misha Gordin: Well, I find them to be very similar. It's all about talent, inspiration, and feelings... I would rather skip the details. You should trust me on this one...

TM: When you first began making photographs you were doing documentary and portraiture work, which you have said was not satisfying. Why was making documentary and portraiture photographs not satisfying?

MG: I began to photograph in my late teens. My first and only teacher was well-known portrait and documentary photographer. Obviously, my first steps where influenced by him. I did not know any better. My approach was similar to his, but soon I realized how limited it was. The most important talent to shoot documentary photographs is to be in the right place at the right time and not to miss an opportunity when it occurs. I did not find it very artistic and there was little room to use my imagination. It was all about catching the reality.

It was more sport for me then art. Very soon I realized that I would rather document my own fantasy world. Throughout my long involvement in photography there is a human presence in every image I have made. I returned back to making portraits later in my life to create "Shout" series. Also, my recent work "The New Crowd" consists from many portraits shot from the back. I found the back of the head can be as emotional as the face and even more mysterious...

TM: Please talk about the influences of Dostoevsky, Bulgakov, Tarkovsky, and Parajanov on your work.

MG: At school I was a lost soul. I managed to avoid reading any communist accepted literature and my art teacher found me lacking any artistic talent. I remember walking alone from school constantly imagining unreal and funny situations. Only after graduating from high school did I realize how little I knew about great spiritual knowledge accumulated throughout human history. I was like a sponge trying to get as much information that I could in a country with a prison-like mentality and censorship. I started to read Dostoevsky and his philosophy of life triggered many thoughts in me. I was constantly looking for more material. Staged visions in movies of Andrey Tarkovsky and Parajanov confirmed that I was on the right path. I always felt alone creating my images. People surrounding me looked at my attempts as a rebellion against establishment. In my first year in the United States I saw a monograph of Rene Magritte's work in a local bookstore. I was ecstatic to find an artist painting ideas so close to my own. I just saw a show of Magritte paintings in SFMOMA and realized I am almost indifferent to his work.

TM: Why do you think that Magritte's work does not move you anymore?

MG: Things change...

The biggest influence on my work is my work. I learn from every new image I create.

TM: How did the notion of "conceptual photography" come to you?

MG: In 1972, I had a dream... The moonlight reflects off the cobblestone street. The lonely steps echo in a narrow path. I hear the sound of a cracking shell. I look up. The giant egg above breaks, squeezed between the old walls. The warm liquid spills on my face. I wake up. I knew then what to do. I will photograph Dreams.

TM: How does conceptual photography differ from straight photography?

MG: I think the difference is in limitations. Straight is limited by reality. Conceptual by imagination. And both by the artist's talent...

TM: What is it about your work that puts it on the same level as paintings, sculpture and music?

MG: I think it is a similar approach that brings these different art forms together. They all start from a concept, idea, sketch, or tune that begins in the artist's mind or soul and very often is completed without any tools of trade. My approach to photography is very similar. It always starts from an idea. Then a sketch and adjustment to reality of technical limitations. Then props, location, and models. The process reminds me of making a movie-a one-frame movie with a finished script.

TM: We all know about Ansel Adams' full ranges of grays in photographs. In your photographs, the predominant color is an overall gray, with some black, and a bit of white. What is the reason for pushing the gray? Is it to give the photographs a heavy presence?

MG: I hardly think about these aspects. A heavy presence is there because of how I translate my thoughts-I envision them in a certain light. I should mention that all my images are done outdoors under natural light. It's when I print my work that I become a darkroom technician and all "craft" questions of "grays" are solved, among many others.

TM: You were brought up in Eastern Europe under a totalitarian regime. How has this influenced your work?

MG: The biggest influence on my work is my work. I learn from every new image I create. I started under totalitarian regime and the seed of it is present...

TM: The movie 1984 with John Hurt-have you seen it and what was your feeling about it?

MG: Big brothers had names-Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. 1984 is an okay movie, but I like Andrey Tarkovsky's Stalker much better. But all artistic attempts fade against horrors of reality.

I am very skeptical about teaching art. It's all about the "gift"-you have it, or you don't.

TM: There is a sense of claustrophobia in your work-the people in your images seem to be not really human. They seem to be cypress-almost frozen in time. Is this deliberate?

MG: This is how you see my "imaginary world". Nothing is deliberate-it's what it is. My goal is to trigger thoughts and feelings and any interpretation of my work is valid. Sometimes "interpreters" of my work see things that are unseen to me. Sometimes I like and remember their interpretations...

TM: Do you enjoy performance art and have you ever seen Butoh dance-also called the dance of darkness. If yes, what is your reaction to Butoh, and do you see any similarities between Butoh and your work?

MG: The front page of my Website "bsimple.com" is an image composed from the heads of "Sankai Juku" dancers-the Butoh dance company. My first introduction to "Sankai Juku" probably is one of the most memorable highs of my life. Music, performance art, and serious cinematography are my favorite art forms. Similarities between Butoh and my work-there should be some. It's why I relate to it so closely.

©Misha Gordin

TM: What sort of feeling or response do you want your images to invoke in the viewer?

MG: Deep, I guess...

TM: Do the people in your images have a future or are they locked in the moment forever?

MG: As many serious artists, I hope my images will have a future and live a "longtime to come". And I know that your question was about something else...

TM: Do you believe, as the Buddhists do, that life is a state of suffering?

MG: If Buddhists believe it is so, they have a point. Suffering is one of the major states of emotion. So is enjoyment. Both of these emotions are familiar to me and crucial in "diving deep" for inspiration.

TM: Any regrets?

MG: Some, but not too many...

TM: Like your thoughts on several artists. Jerry Ullsmann?

MG: Jerry Ullsmann. polished darkroom technique, but the work is too light for my taste.

TM: Joel Peter Witkin?

MG: Undeniable style. But his concepts are foreign to me.

TM: Adam Fuss?

MG: I haven't seen enough images of his to form an opinion.

TM: The music of Phillip Glass?

MG: I like his early stuff. Especially "Islands".

TM: Do you look at fashion photography at all?

MG: My wife designs clothes professionally, so fashion magazines are scattered around the house. Occasionally I open them to realize that I need my reading glasses. But finding them is too much of an effort.

TM: Are you at all influenced by fashion photography from the '60s to present?

MG: No.

TM: Do you do other work than fine art photography?

MG: I used to do commercial work: fashion, shoes, jewelry etc., but I did it under one condition-that the idea was mine. My commercial work reflected a style of my artwork at the particular period of time. All this changed after I moved to my secluded place in Minnesota. Rolling hills. Reflections on the water. Bon-fire in deep snow. All business contacts lost, with no regrets...

TM: Have you made films?

MG: Yes I did. The problem is that I am "a one man show" and cinematography is not. So I stopped after few attempts. I have a feeling that this might change because of new technology. It would not surprise me to show "homemade" movies from my Website in the future.

TM: Whose art or photography, other then yours do you have in your home or studio?

MG: I am surrounded by artwork of my friends and it means a lot to me. I also build some "forest sculptures" around my place.

Material success is not my goal in life. My art is.

TM: Do you teach?

MG: I don't teach and never did. I am very skeptical about teaching art. It's all about the "gift"-you have it, or you don't. And if you do-you will develop your own unique path. And if you don't-you will copy somebody, most often your teacher. And what if he doesn't have it?

TM: Is material success important to you?

MG: What is material success? It's a notion that is so illusive. How many "zeroes" do you need to be "somebody" or feel "important"? Material success is not my goal in life. My art is. But it is important for me to maintain the level of my life style. I need to have a peace of mind and free time to do my art. I believe that complete freedom is combination of both - spiritual and material. It's something we all strive for...

TM: The name of your Website is bsimple.com. Please talk about the name, how it came to be, and how the notion of simplicity fits into your life.

MG: I am glad it was available at the time. It reflects my goals. In my veiw simplicity is sophistication.
- To be simple is to have a purpose. To be simple is to be wise.
- To be simple is to see the essence of things. To be simple is to express yourself with the minimum source.
- To be simple is to live in peace with nature. To be simple is to know how to make good food without a book.
- To be simple is a gift. To be simple means to be complex.
 
TM: What one person in the world would want to be impressed by your work?

MG: My father, if still alive.