Four

A little bit of history repeating

BY Four, March 15, 2012

Since the moment we first came across Andrew Pinkham’s painterly photographs we have been fascinated by the cross-over between art disciplines, the historical references and how seductive looking back in time can be. We talk to Andrew about his unique approach and what inspires him.

You have mentioned before that this project ‘has taken a life of its own’. What did you mean by that?
The first two portraits were of our greyhounds and peoples’ reaction to the work was immediate and many wanted commissions. I merely thought that they would say ‘hey, nice pic’ and move on.

Why do you think this happened? What do you think people related to?
People thought that they were paintings and I think that they realated to their historic look and feel.

We are fascinated by your images and can’t quite figure out how much is photography and how much gets completed at the post-production stage. Please tell us a bit about your process.
For me, paintings of the 18th and 19th Centuries have always had a spellbinding quality of light on their subjects that bathed them an angelic way. Backgrounds were dark and faces glowed with fiery oranges and yellows. Their ability to set the mood with the use of light, shadow and color amazed me. The purpose of my work has largely been to push the boundaries of what we perceive as being historical, not being able to tell if something was created two hundred years or two weeks ago. Through much practice, I have learned how to seamlessly incorporate equal amounts of photography and illustration into my images with the viewer not knowing where one process ends and the other begins. Using elements from multiple photographs, I construct the final piece one image, giving it a timeless effect through texture and light quality.

By blending photography with the painterly feel, are you trying to combine the best of both worlds?  
I just go with what I react to emotionally and following a feeling more than anything else.

Any particular attachment to the 18th and 19th Century?
It’s not always a period neccessarily, but the in the way that things are portrayed regardless of when they were created. I love Vermeer and Hopper as well. There is just a dream like quality to most art that I like.

Do you consider yourself a nostalgic person?
Yes and no. Art that I grew up with, like the Wyeths, is like comfort food to me. It’s been there all of my life and I keep on going back to it.

Do you work in a studio or do you source locations?
Both, I like shooting on location, but if the scene doesn’t exist, I’ll create it in post.

The dogs in your images seem pensive, proud. How do you manage to engage with them?
It’s about getting them to relax and become placid. It’s also that I’m at a low angle which makes them look bigger than real life.

Any interesting experience with any of your dog subjects?
They are all interesting but I shot a dog in heat last week. I wish I had some crazy stories for you but unfortunately, that’s the weirdest sounding so far.

Which type of people commission your work?
Wealthy people who treat their pets like children.

Are you working on any additional projects at the moment?
I recently finished up a series of birds from last fall. I am doing a series of people now stripping out all of the unnecessary elements except the light and the subject. It’s about distilling the feeling of my work down to a basic level.

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Photography by Andrew Pinkham
To see the complete series, click here

Tags Art, Collection, Culture, History, Photography, Portrait