Greg Girard and Anna Shteynshleyger
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Musée sat down for a chat with two photographers whose works are featured in the current exhibition at The International Center of Photography located in New York City. We asked them three common questions that our readers are curious about.
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Perspectives is an exhibition series that focuses on emerging young artists working in photography and video. The small group exhibitions in the series are nonthematic, highlighting the individual ideas and achievements of an engaging and eclectic group of new faces. Those presented within Perspectives have not been widely exhibited, inspiring conversations on contemporary art, broadening ICP's audience, and revealing work that may otherwise not be seen outside of a small gallery setting. Above all, Perspectives will highlight global contemporary artists who have not yet been shown in New York, and who may not conventionally be considered photographers. ICP Curator Christopher Phillips organized this second exhibition in the series, which includes work by Chien-Chi Chang, Greg Girard, and Anna Shteynshleyger.
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Greg Girard
What inspires you to photograph?
The work from the featured project is the result of noticing something that is hidden in plain sight. A place that is there and nothing secret about it. Its been there for decades, either in a physical presence or a situation that has existed for a while, is what appeals to me. In my work there is something constant, even though the subjects very a lot.
What advice do you have for emerging photographers?
If you dont take yourself seriously, nobody else will. If you feel strongly about something, there is usually a way to get it done. Take what you are doing seriously, and that will give you every right to do it. Whether it has something to do with access, someone saying that you are not allowed to do something, it may teach you how to negotiate, which is so much of what certain type of photography is about. There are hardly any technical obstacles now to making pictures, so much of it comes down to your point of view and again in a certain kind of photography access to what we are trying to photograph. Thats one thing. I would say its also very useful early on to get your pictures out in to the world in some fashion to have them looked at and responded to. Thats easier now than it ever used to be, which is both a good and a bad thing.
How did you become part of the exhibition at ICP?
These things are random. Christopher Phillips had included some of the work I had done in Shanghai, at an exhibition in Canada about 4 years ago, so that kind of established our relationship. He then became aware of other things I was doing and I am very grateful for his attention to this project.
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Anna Shteynshleyger
What inspires you to photograph?
The world inspires me to photograph.
What advice do you have for emerging photographers?
Keep shooting. Keep photographing. Never stop emerging.
How did you become part of the exhibition at ICP?
Christopher Phillips, the curator, invited me to take part of this exhibition while I was in Chicago and I happily accepted the invitation.
