I thought the art of shooting with film was nearly dead until I met photographer Anthony Georgis. We were both in line at the rental section of a local photo shop, and I remember Anthony mentioning something about a revolution against digital photography. Right then, I knew I liked this guy.
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of his work. In the last couple of years, Anthony has worked on a few projects for our shop. And it's been a privilege to work with him most recently on the artist interview series. He photographed Portland artists Kate Bingaman-Burt, Trish Grantham, and Justin "Scrappers" Morrison (next week's featured artist).
Anthony's client list has included Converse, ReadyMade, Nylon, T-Mobile, and Elle, just to name a few. Last summer, Anthony spent 30 days on the road shooting pictures for the Levi's Go Forth campaign. Some of the photographs shown in this interview are from this assignment.
How would you describe your work?
My photographs are kind of quiet and simple with the occasional odd burst of joy and color. I described my work as remedial once to a friend who thought I should try to come up with a better word, but I'm actually quite happy with remedial. I've always been a very traditional photographer and I still prefer to shoot with film because it forces me to slow down and really look at things. Photography is amazing because it has this ability to be both fact and fiction. I like the moments in-between.
What are the greatest challenges of being an artist today?
The challenges in photography are particularly interesting because the tools are more readily available. I think there is a lot of noise out there and it's hard to cut through all the trends, but I'm really optimistic about where things are going and I'm really excited about how the landscape is changing. In the end good work is good work.
What accomplishments/works of art are you most proud of?
A couple years back, someone told me they saw a photograph and that they knew the instant they saw it that it was one of my images. It just reinforced that I was on the right track and that I was making images that resonated with people.
Tell us about the biggest risk you've taken as an artist.
I work primarily as a photographer for advertising and editorial clients, so the danger is that commercial clients think that I'm too arty and that the art photography scene considers me tainted by commercial work. It's a very fine line and things are always a little risky when you're trying to meld art and commerce together.
What do you love most about Portland?
The cost of living is good, the coffee is great and I can ride my bike anyplace I want to go. Now if it would just stop raining . . .
What makes Portland such a great place for independent art?
I think Portland is a great place for independent art because it's kind of cheap, scrappy and naive. I mean that in the best possible way of course. Portland is always going to do its own thing.
Also, be sure to check out this week's featured Brooklyn artist on Art Hound.
