Blog
2/3 of “Before You Wake, Before You Vanish”: An Interview with Damian Weinkrantz and Isaac Schell
CURRENT EXHIBITION OF NOTE:
“Before You Wake, Before You Vanish”
LOCATION:
Copy Gallery – Philadelphia, PA
ARTISTS/MEDIUM:
Damian Weinkrantz (drawing), Isaac Schell (photography), Becky Suss (painting)
Work by Becky Suss
SYNOPSIS FOR THE UNACQUAINTED:
Three walls for three artists responding to the theme of “The Home.” The physical manifestations of these responses run a full visual and emotional gamut. Without context, the intricate and personally mythological drawings of Damian Weinkrantz contrasted with stark and unadulterated photographs by Isaac Schell, and the indulgently colored, yet tranquil paintings of Becky Suss, may appear unrelated. A closer look reveals a common visual tie of the house as structure. Cerebral in its curation and reception, this show, though petite in size, is large in its thematic scope. For this reason in particular, I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss the work in more detail with Damian and Isaac in person…
THE INTERVIEW:
What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Damian Weinkrantz and I’ve lived in Philadelphia for the past 6 years, so I claim Philadelphia as my home.
My name is Isaac Schell, and I’m originally from Albany, NY but I’ve been here since 1999, so I also claim this as my home and feel a really strong connection to the city.
What brought you here?
Damian: The Liberty Bell.
Isaac: I came here for school. I skateboarded a lot as a teenager and thought Philly was the best place in the world, so I came here for school. I was very fascinated with this city before I lived here, and then just never wanted to leave.
How do you think your photographs have been influenced by your surroundings?
IS: I don’t think I could make this artwork anywhere else. It would translate differently in a different city. Part of the reason why I make this work is because I’m fascinated with how old the city is and how much structural and economic change has happened in even just 20 years. The traffic patterns and buildings I’m taking photographs of are 100 years old or more.
Should this body of work be read as a whole, or as separate pieces?
IS: I chose this work because I thought it made sense together. Damian and I had talked about this show being under the motif of the home. So these are all houses, or were houses, or reference a house in some way. You can interpret it however you want. There are parallels between different pieces, but you can make your own story or you can enjoy them individually .
What do you shoot with?
IS: I shoot with a large format camera. It’s and old process, very slow and methodical. You can make a larger negative and larger print with less distortion in the enlargement. Craft is really important to me. You can tell when someone who is a photographer is looking at this work because they’re looking up close for imperfections, searching, picking apart the flaws.
So are you a perfectionist, or do you embrace error?
IS: I certainly am not. In this one image, there a light leak. I could have fixed it, but I thought that is was acceptable and appropriate. It wouldn’t be fair to my love of the subject matter to reconstruct images in a haphazard way. For me photography seems like the most appropriate medium for this, as it is an act of preservation. Everything I photograph will age and eventually vanish.
On the subject of perfection…Damian, how many drafts do you go through per piece?
DW:I carry around a book and write down little sentences and ideas then I will go home and draw them out, and eventually a solid thematic emerges. A lot of pieces were weeded out for this show.
It’s pretty much pencil-to-paper and then inked/painted over. A lot of these start as little sketches, then I cut paper to size, plan the layouts and then just do them.
Can you talk about your iconography? More specifically, the significance of the butterflies with the hooded figures?
DW: It’s important to note that those are not butterflies, they’re moths. Moths eat things. They represent natural decay. They are gentle and fragile but slowly break things apart. Within my life and output, I’m interested in how things fall apart. Every time I come up with a thematic there’s always something breaking, decaying, ending. I react off of negative things like anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety, loss…
What are your thoughts on collective artmaking in Philadelphia?
DW: The strength of Philadelphia is that it’s a big small city. If you make output, you’re going to bump into other people making output. And it’ll just so happen to be someone you’re friends with.
IS: You can never stop meeting people. If you notice something and you like it, it’s only a matter of time before you meet that person.
DW: The network is really natural. There’s nothing forced or contrived. When I first moved here and didn’t know anyone, I was just doing my thing, and I’d meet someone out in the world who made art, and it would be like, “Oh, I’ve seen that! I’ve seen those posters you made!”
If this show is about decay and loss and nostalgia for the home, are these current concerns for each of you?
IS: There’s a political and realistic side that goes along with that. but I’m not trying to tell anyone that I feel a certain way strongly. When I see a whole block of row homes being razed and condos put up on South Broad Street, I think, “Geez, that’s terrible.” But I’m not trying say that one way is right or wrong. Some things I think are beautiful even if they are falling apart.
DW: Generally this show is apolitical. All three of us did way different things, came at it from way different angles. There are overlaps here and there, but it’s really all about appreciation and admiration of certain things.
Any parting comments?
DW: Can you type this?…
(Editor’s Note: Insert image of gyrating dance magic.)
…and finally, how do you take your eggs?
DW: Over easy. Or huevos rancheros.
IS: Over easy with curry sauce. At a place called Miss Albany Diner. On an English muffin.
—-
Stay tuned for an artist talk and zine release at Copy Gallery on August 27 at 7 pm. The gallery is located at 319 North 11th Street in Philadelphia.
Work by Isaac Schell will also be featured in the upcoming October issue of The Photo Review magazine.
Written by robin on 08/17/2008 in AITA Original | Blog | Exhibition Review | Interview | Photography
|
Share this post: |
|
