I first met Chris Voelker in 1998 when I was art director of Special Issues for The Hollywood Reporter. I felt immediately connected to Chris, and I greatly admired his portfolio. Since then Chris and I have worked together on many projects, both commercial and personal, including several that went on to win awards for us both. It's a great pleasure to introduce Chris here, and to talk with him about his work. Our conversation took place by e-mail during a week in August, 2004.
– Michael Kellner *
"To give a love
You gotta live a love.
To live a love
You gotta be part of."
– Neil Young
A CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTOPHER VOELKER
Q. Sir Kenneth Clark began his landmark study of the nude in art with a treatise called, "The Naked and the Nude". So straight off, what are your thoughts on the subject? As an artist, how do you transform the "naked" into the "nude"?
A. For me the difference between "naked" and "nude" is one of perception. Naked has a connotation of shame or an invasion of privacy. Once, as a child, I walked into the bathroom and saw my sister naked. She told my father that I'd seen her "stark naked" and she was embarrassed beyond belief. My father's response was that she was "just nude"!
When working on a shoot I completely discard my perception of a "naked" individual. The nude form has volumes to speak, and has for centuries. My role in transforming the naked into the nude is using light to mold the body into a piece of art. Lighting the body is crucial to the expression of form itself, and determines feeling and mood. My work is my own natural response toward the female body, in a style that I have developed unknowingly.
Q. Our culture is glutted with sexual imagery, including pornography. Many contemporary art photographers even flirt with the pornographic image. What can you say about the sexual content of your nudes?
A. My viewpoint is that pornography is not art, and a great many "nudes" labeled as art are just a slant on pornography. I hope that my images are perceived as art. "Obliquely sexual" is a good description of my images; whether they are sexually stimulating or not is up to the viewer.
Q. You shoot your nudes in black and white, which seems consistent with your emphasis on form. What else about black and white photography interests or inspires you?
A. To me, black and white is inherently more abstract than color. I find color to be too realistic for what I want to achieve. I have long been a great admirer of George Hurrell, Bill Brandt, and Irving Penn, all of whose mastery of B&W has been very inspirational. B&W requires an eye for subtleties of tone, and the bold contrasts created with light. I've been making my own B&W prints for twenty years and the alchemy and wonder of the darkroom has never diminished. There is nothing more beautiful than a B&W print made with great skill and attention to detail.
Q. You say your style developed "unknowingly". I like that, but I'm still curious. Do you have, say, a range of "intentions" when you shoot?
A. I don't think I have a range of intentions, but an openness to what feels right to me -- where I wouldn't change a thing. That's when I know I've put my stamp on an image. There's a natural evolution that occurs when I'm working. As far as a defining moment, it just becomes clear to me what feels "right" visually.
Q. What formats are you shooting in? Do you shoot digital?
A. I shoot 4x5, 2&1/4 and 35 mm formats. I look to cameras as tools to create images. I use different formats to achieve different effects. I've been shooting high-end digital for the past two years and I must say, the results are incredible in terms of resolution and the immediacy of the process. I feel comfortable with all formats, but I have special affection for my Hasselblads; their simplicity, with no electronics, is a nice departure from the high tech electronic world we live in. I like using medium to wide lenses. The right lens, in conjunction with the light that I decide upon, makes the picture.
Q. What is the editing process like for you?
A. I tend to select 2 or 3 images from a shoot that usually numbers around a 100 or so images shot. The editing process is somewhat tedious, although it can be an emotionally enriching experience too. When an image strikes a visual cord, it's like composing music and finally hearing it played.
Q. You mentioned "the alchemy and wonder of the darkroom". Can you expand on that a little? What goes on in there?
A. The darkroom experience is magical in that I am alone with my negatives and I've got my music playing and it really is the other half of photography. To see an image come alive in a tray of developer has a unique impact upon me. It's an emotional experience. Watching a brew of chemicals transform a blank sheet of paper into a work of art is modern day alchemy. The process of printing fiber-based prints that will last more than 100 years is a delight.
Q. You often shoot first-time models, and being unclothed in the studio is an intimate and vulnerable circumstance. How do you account for the level of comfort you receive from your subjects?
A. I think my acceptance of each individual as they are is the starting point. Having a personality that isn't brash or crass or intimidating helps a lot. The confidence my subjects feel towards me is built on trust. I try to bring out the qualities an individual has and is most proud of. It can be a great fanny, a great shape, a smile. There can be a dark side, or an erotic or sexy personality, etc. Working collaboratively with a subject is how my pictures succeed. Being sensitive and never putting someone in a situation they're uncomfortable with is paramount.
Q. There's a wonderful variety of flesh in your nudes. There's also a deep humanity to your images. What are your thoughts on the dynamic of Flesh and Spirit?
A. Flesh and Spirit apply to all of us as humans. I try to depict universal beauty and promote acceptance. For example, I made images of a lady who was very heavy. We've had several sessions by now, and her perception of herself has changed as a result. She has a greater appreciation for her body and her self-esteem is much improved. I'm not looking for the "perfect" body, but rather for women who are comfortable with themselves.
I think my fascination with nudes is similar to most people, and to other artists. As I grow as a photographer, my vision continues to evolve. My pictures may be haunting, soothing, stark, disturbing, inspiring, isolated, open... I love film!
Q. What can you say to the viewer about looking at photography?
A. I think photographs are a view into our shared humanity, our world and our civilization. Bringing an open mind to viewing images is quite important. Leaving preconceived or prejudicial assumptions behind, and cultivating an almost childlike perception is beautiful. Intellectualizing it seems to be a modern failing that inhibits people from enjoying art because they feel compelled to have a profound perception or response to it. "I really like that image," is an expression that doesn't necessarily have to have a significant reason behind it. A photograph that makes you think or smile or love -- that's where my heart is.
* Design Consultant for V Life Magazine (a publication of Variety); eight years Art Director for Special Issues and Projects (The Hollywood Reporter); six years Assistant Art Director (Los Angeles Magazine).
Q. Sir Kenneth Clark began his landmark study of the nude in art with a treatise called, "The Naked and the Nude". So straight off, what are your thoughts on the subject? As an artist, how do you transform the "naked" into the "nude"?