By Maksymilian Fus-Mickiewicz
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While Alexander has a roster of internationally acclaimed accounts he always maintains a strict ethical code which all members of the Distil Ennui studio abide by. The issue for him is authenticity, never cropping or editing his work – exhibitions take place in abandoned spaces. Like his photography he aims to find the overlooked and the displaced; asking us to engage critically with subjects we may find ordinary. Contrasted as a minimalist Gregory Crawson (of the White Cube) and ‘Man Ray meets Jet Lee’, Alexander James is a man of strong belief who should be taken seriously. As soon as I saw his Organic Studies I knew I had to investigate further. It mattered deeply that the images had had an immediate impact on me without the aid of context or gallery captions. These emotionally charged moments where manufactured chemicals meet delicate flower bouquets transcend language. A fascinating aesthetic that burns the issue of the current oil crisis into the eye of the beholder, refusing to let photography become irrelevant and stale.
How did this project come about? What were the steps you took?
We have had an idea to shoot burning flowers for a while now but couldn’t find a relevant thread or meaning which delayed production. Then the globe concept came about, a planetary sphere which instantly gave us the meaning we were looking for – it evolved over a period of about a week before we got on set, only then did we really have the chance to experiment.
How were the images captured?
These images were shot on Hasselblad medium format equipment on both film and digital mediums. The beauty for me is supported by the in-perfections. I perform no post production whatsoever on my personal works either traditional or digital; always presenting my works ‘as-shot’.
Even on the most planned shoots there are always little accidents. These accidents or imperfections are what suggest the possibilities of developing the image further in a way that I had not thought of. It can however prove very difficult when aiming for such deep blacks with rich detail and tonal range.
What was the chemical process behind these?
We used a chemical compound which anyone with basic chemistry knowledge can do. This was shaped and inserted into the heart of the globe which when lit, started an irreversible burn process where shards of energy engulfed the sphere until it’s inevitable collapse. For me this was just thrilling to shoot. There is something mystical about the moment when light crosses through a lens, things can be very different from one side to the other, especially in this case it all became so magical on film.
Is there a particular reason why you chose flowers which are often associated with femininity?
The flowers specifically in the form of a sphere or circle for me is perhaps a reinforced suggestion. The circle being the most profound and the most common symbol in existence. With the infinite billions of stars, planets, moons and galaxies full of the same. A circle, having no beginning or end, representing infinity, eternity, wholeness and femininity. The floral subject focusses us more on it’s positive symbolism representing the beauty and spiritual power of our environment. We wanted to represent the spiritualized Mother Earth or sacred environment.
Is destruction, raw energy seen as a masculine trait?
No not at all, it is a male doctrine to consider a physical effort to prevail destruction… but I believe that this is baseless, and genderless. I believe that every action has a direct and opposing reaction, we all fade to dust. Whilst now I consider myself a mid-late career artist, it is something that grabs my thoughts more and more these days and I use my work to help express this.
When seeing these images I immediately thought of the BP oil spill, the heat of the chemical explosion with nature. Would you say the crisis had an influence on you?
I am absolutely thrilled that you picked up on the BP driving force behind these images. As an artist I am always looking to engage art with key artistic, intellectual and political issues of our time, I have a responsibility to do so. Whilst I am not making a comment on BP themselves this is very much a series based on our hunger for consumerist destruction. I want to re-engage only but a thread of thought into the wonder of our environment, perhaps making the viewer consider the concessions that they could make to stop this stupidity.
What role did Davy Pittoors have in styling?
Davy only recently joined the team but is already finding his groove. He has a clean, discerning and extremely detailed aesthetic which was a direct influence on the series. He was Instrumental in effecting the styling and concept brief both before and during the shoot. He was a great help accomplishing the aspired quality of work I had in mind.
The image represents a fleeting moment. Do you think the oil crisis will be forgotten about quickly?
I think it’s legacy will live on for a long time to come, and rightly so. Now we can all see that essentially we are tapping into something buried deep under water for a reason. Hopefully this series will be a reminder to err caution. Those who so readily forget the past are likely to repeat themselves.
You work with a lot of commercial clients, has the crisis made you think twice about working with un-ethical companies?
It has re-affirmed the belief certainly, although for the past eight years we as a studio have had a strict suppliers & client ethical policy in place. During that period we have sourced all our energy from renewable sources, we all bike it around and have a hybrid studio runaround car in London for when we need it, we also offset our carbon emissions on every travel booking and our office supplies come from green sources provided by ethical companies wherever possible.
That includes our client rosta I have refused major projects to the great detriment of the business, because I have strongly disagreed with an ethical position on the business model. I remember just recently a major hotel client that we had worked with for years, were just about to fly us to Dubai to shoot their latest property prior to opening. It was a big job which we had been planning for months, when we discovered that the client had a monstrous idea to refrigerate 4 acres of beachfront – yes you heard me right… literally cooling the sand so that guests did not burn their feet. Imagine the power consumption of a four acre fridge in the middle of the desert – and leaving the door open.
I am already a serious doubter of all that goes on in Dubai after spending a lot of time out there. Things like paying construction workers $25.00 a week and housing them in squalid conditions with minimal equipment or regard for their safety, all whilst working on some of the most expensive real estate in the world. If they are injured at all on site, their work visa is canceled and they are unceremoniously thrown out of the country as they are now unable to work.
It took no time at all to reject the brief, it sounds foolish now as I know there would be ten suitably qualified photographers ready to take over the job within minutes, but that’s just it really – I wouldn’t be doing it.
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Maks is freelance journalist. He has contributed articles to Don’t Panic, FACT, USELESS and AnOther Man as well as managing his own arts and culture website Haus Digital. Maks is interested in photography, graphic design and instillation as well as the relationship between cultural, gender and sexual identity in relation to art and architecture. He will be regularly contributing articles to the Off Modern blog.
