Richard Knapp . Photographer

Our current exhibit features the work of Richard (Richie) Knapp. Richie is an amazing photographer that had a tremendous body of work. Together Richard, Jac and I came up with a through line to focus the exhibit and after much hard work mapping it out and Richie not sleeping to get it all done, we are excited to bring you “Out of Fashion”. One of the last things that we had to do was ask Richard a few questions and he was kind enough to answer:

You chose the title “Out of fashion”- why that title and what does it mean to you? The title “Out of Fashion” was chosen for this show because all of the work in it was created from fashion shoots.   Some of the featured images were created to just be overlaid layers onto fashion photographs or to be still lifes on the pages next to fashion….  in the end, I felt many of these images were strong enough to stand on their own as art.  Art from fashion,  “Out of Fashion”.

What is the difference between a photograph and an art piece? Photography is just a medium for one to create art. 
What was the first camera you ever had and your best memory with it?  The first camera I ever had was a canon AE1.  The best memory from that camera is how proud it made me feel as a child that my mother was willing to spend so much of her money on her 10 year old son who  wanted  to start taking pictures.
When is an image a good image – do you know right away or is it something you realize after the fact?  What makes an good image is a lot of bad images.  you must take a certain amount of images in order to get the good ones;  i mean you must hone your vision or idea and work it ’till you get it right.  Sometimes it just happens on its own, but you need to put the wheels in motion as often as possible to increase your odds.
Digital photography – Angel or the Devil? Digital photography is an Angel.  I love the immediacy of photography, and digital photography only feeds into that, not to mention the amount of control you have over an image.
What do your images say about you as an artist? I will leave it to the viewer to decide what my images say about me as an artist.  For me they are just proof that I have the desire to create.

Does what you set out to shoot always become what you end up with as the finished product? I usually capture what I set out to shoot, the one thing I try to avoid is being so tied to an idea or a concept that I am no longer living in the moment.
Can a commercial image be art? Commercial images can be art and much great art has been created and purchased over the years for commercial purposes.
Why is the moment or a moment so integral to photography? A moment is so important because the camera can freeze one so easily and then allow us to isolate that moment to study, observe, and reflect…  to make of the moment what we want.
Please describe a favorite piece in the show via concept , execution and or interesting moment? Projection, “This Side of Paradise”.   I am personally attached to this image,  it was fun to create.   The magazine I was shooting this story for gave me carte blanche to create what I wanted for the cover story, but just insisted that it be a male/female cover…   I think as an artist, once you are told that you have to do something you immediately try to figure out a way to not follow the rules word for word.  the story I was shooting was heavy on political themes of the past, and we were using many projections and overlays in the story,  so I decided I was going to shoot a portrait of the male model, download it to my projector,  and use the projection of his image as the key light source of the female model.  There is your male / female cover.   I thought it was a great play on the rules that I was given, in the end they chose a safer shot.

big bear . paynes gray lamp black . 44" x60"

 Roni Stretch is currently showing for the third time at Canvas and what else can we say, we really appreciate who he is as a person, as an artist and we love his family. His work is incredible and we are once again proud to have him showing starting May 1st with Earth Works; A collection of paintings and photographs (his first showing of his photography at Canvas). Funny side note – google image Roni Stretch Artist and a photo of Salma Hayek in Canvas for his show comes up – not bad, not bad at all I would say

When is art good in your opinion?  When it is made by choice, when it is honest, when it has a purpose, when it causes the viewer to think or feel, when it contains within it, the possibility of failure, when it is made if money were not in the equation.

Why are you so camera shy that we had to do a written interview?  It’s my English accent, easier to understand this way, plus gives me time to sound as if I know what I’m talking about.

Do you remember the first time/person that someone said you should be an artist or had talent - what did you do as a result of that moment/statement if anything?   My teacher, when I was about 5 years old put one of my drawings on the blackboard at school to show the rest of the class. I was horrified and refused to draw for the rest of the year. I suppose I always didn’t like the attention

How is your minimalist aesthetic a reflection of who you are as a person and how is it represented in your work?  Well I feel all art that works should be a true representation of the artist making it, surroundings and environments are all influences. My art changed quite dramatically when I bought my first architectural home. Most, if not all studio environments are like laboratories and are quite chaotic, you have to allow yourself a breathing room, my paintings are my breathing rooms.

They say “the love is in the details” and your work is meticulous?  I am all about the details, it’s the subtleties that make the difference for me. I always say the sketches are the most valuable works of the artist as these are the purest and most honest. I do admire the artists that start with a blank canvas and see where that takes them, I suppose my camera does that for me.

This is the first time that you are showing your photography – why and why now?  Actually not, I showed a couple of photographs some years ago, but this is the first time I am showing my Big Bear series. I feel the time is right and as I’ve been shooting now and experimenting for some 15 years, I finally believe I have been able to create a feeling in this series of photographs that still retain a painterly quality to them. Photography captures a moment in time but with the Big Bear images I capture more of a consciousness and emotion than that element of photographic time.

Why do a series on Big Bear?  I have always been fascinated with the fascination of the horizon, the sense of such majesty brings the questions of life and creation and tests our mental and visual perception. The instinctive way in which the series started, all of a 45 second photo shoot driving down the mountain , in itself intrigued me to explore more, the restrictiveness and purity of the images reminded me of the worlds first day. I found the broken horizon a welcomed change to Sugimoto’s iconic series.

How has the art world changed over the years in your opinion?  By the sheer volume of work being made, I suppose the industrialisation –the business of art and the arrival of money and its consequences. The highly global market, and where rich artists are unfortunately considered good artists. Other changes obviously the lens and video have attained equal status with the paintbrush, the spirit of collaboration and the merging of art with more of an entertainment lifestyle.

What is your greatest artistic achievement thus far?  The greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more. I’ve been very fortunate throughout my years to just be able to go to my studio and paint and appreciate that I can support my family by doing so. On a personal note, I remember when Wesley Jessup, the director of the Pasadena Museum purchased my “Shannon” painting, this was my first museum acquisition and that moment made me feel very proud.

You all probably know Marie “the hammer”  from Canvas , but let us introduce you to her brother Richard Knapp (www.richardknapp.com). Richard is an incredible guy and an amazing photographer whose images you have browsed in various fashion publications over the years. When Marie brought his latest shoot ” Black White ” to our attention  we were very intrigued by the concept and thought you might be as well. Of course we had a few questions and Richard was gracious enough to answer.

 How did the black girl white face and white girl black face “Black White” concept come about and what is the meaning of it?  The concept for the shoot came about through the desire to create something for the sake of creating art….  It was a collaboration of three people who have worked together on many jobs over the years who felt the need to do a shoot  just for the sake of doing a shoot, where we could create without pre-determined boundaries or use….

Why did you do it – what was the purpose of the shoot?  The basic idea was to see in a way  which we are not a custom.  As for the meaning of it, I think it can mean different things to different people… For me it is a play on black and white as colors and to how  powerful they can be in the absence of everything else. 
What do images like these represent for you as a photographer and what if anything do they say about your work/style.  As for how this relates to my overall work, I am not entirely sure.  Two things that inspire me as a photographer is photography’s  ability to capture realism and its ability to distort it.  I guess this shoot is the later.

Shout out to:

Make-up artist: Garret Gervais
Hair stylist: Jonathan Hanousek
Models: Marion from Photogenics and Eugena from Elite

CANVAS expands the boundaries of its Art exhibitions as we host our first Evening of Music. The evening featured acoustic sets performed by several contemporary artist: Cassandra, Julian Lahdesmaki from Springhill, Stereofox and headliner Res. This was our first such event and we look forward to doing more. For those of you who missed it, this video will serve as a small recap. For those of you who attended, we thank you for your support and we look forwarding to seeing you all at CANVAS in the near future.

Be Well . SUPPORT ART

“The Confusion of Senses” on view at Espace Culture Louis Vuitton Paris until January 10, 2010

ARTIST - JORDAN BETTEN

Name: Jordan Betten
City of Residence: New York City
Place of birth: ??????

Deciding to experiment with our artist interviews - We started the statement and Jordan finished them. JB is a man of few words.
Being an artist in New York… offers daily doses of inspiration everytime time you walk the streets
If I was not an artist… I would not be me

I knew I had found my own artistic voice/style when… I began communicating without words.
I know a piece is done when… there is nothing left to do.
Sharing my art is like sharing…  life experiences.
A good day is… today
Good design… better design.
My favorite holdiday is… thanks and praise day.
I started designing clothing… because I wanted to share my aesthetic.
People should be… kind …to  each other
When people see my work… I hope they feel my work.
Showing at Canvas …thanks to Goli.