Interview Jeremy Edwards
Photography is making the temporary last forever – and isn’t that what we all want sometimes?
Name: Jeremy Edwards
Hometown: I have two – Chicago, IL and a tiny rural town in Kentucky.
Style of photography: Personal documentary.
Type of camera(s): Mostly analog – Canon AE-1, Yashica Mat 124-G, Minolta X-700, and Minolta SRT-101.
Website:www.edwardsjeremy.com & www.theretherenow.tumblr.com
What gives you inspiration?
My four year old son and his undying thirst for making the most of each day. I’m deeply inspired by social commentary, the beauty, absurdity, and hilarity of life, and even more so, the mundane routine. I make every effort to remain sensitive and absorbent to my environment – I want to take it all in. I have a real fear of missing or overlooking inspiring moments. I’m also very much inspired by visually isolated objects and people. I think something powerful happens when you’re able to view and experience your life when it is removed from the bombardment of visual information. And sometimes, it’s hilarious, or even disturbing. I’ve learned that life is quite difficult, complex, and beautiful enough, that it’s completely unnecessary for me to “create content”. I much prefer the narrative of a moment over the technique used to capture it.
What are your influences?
I have an endless pit of artistic influences. I can confidently say that I spend too much time browsing portfolios and blogs – I have an exhaustive list of photographers I admire on my site. Just to name a few: Hudson Gardner, Simon Kossoff, Hee Jin Kang, Jeff Luker, Tony Luong, Tatum Shaw, Daniel Shea, Davin Youngs, Debbie Carlos, Sophie Harris Taylor, Corey Vaughan, Justin Visnesky, and Brian Ferry. I’m an incredibly anxious person, so colors, both bright and dull; symmetry, or lack thereof, and natural light all influence when I push the shutter. Outside of photography, my other source of creative influence is music. I’ve noticed the structure of my songs, lyrics, and dynamics closely mimic the content of my images. I am also quite fortunate to have interesting and smart people in my life that positively influence my work as well.
Why did you choose these photos?
Not quite sure to be honest. There’s something provocative about these images that captivate me, even months/years after taking them. I find myself looking at them for hours. I can’t say they’re necessarily my favorites, or anyone’s for that matter, but if I scoured my entire portfolio, I would never be able to select just four. Perhaps these images best represent the intentions of my work.
What does photography mean to you?
My perception of photography and it’s value to me personally is constantly changing. I think that’s important. At this point in my life, I feel that photography grants me the permission to visually get lost, and it teaches me to find satisfaction in the nothing. Photography is making the temporary last forever – and isn’t that what we all want sometimes?
Photos:
Copyright reserved by Jeremy Edwards
