~ Photo Cafe' ~ Photographers - Episode #67
~ Chat Transcript ~
1st December 2024
H.12:00 PM SLT
"20 Questions to.. Kian!"
[12:18] Kika Yongho: Welcome everyone to this interview !
[12:19] Kika Yongho: Our artist today is … Kian! He sent us his bio that I am gonna paste here!
[12:19] Kika Yongho: “I started shooting pictures on SL maybe six years ago mostly out of boredom and it took a while to find a sense of direction or style. The pictures these days usually showcase little pieces of the creative and unique sims popping up and disappearing around second life. The colors are mostly toned down to leave room the something more and the compositions tend to be a bit odd or to some even a tiny tiny tiny bit provocative if you’re having issues the bff/inflatable doll (Ivy) who fills in on the occasional couples shoots.”
[12:20] Kika Yongho: “Previous exhibits so far include Starborn, The annex of Nitroglobus, Elven falls Art Collective and Onceagain.”
[12:20] Kika Yongho: Was well written, like someone knowing you well, Ivy?
[12:21] Kian (random26356): oh yes!
[12:21] Kika Yongho: We ask later to everyone if they wanna ask anything to Ivy
[12:21] A. (ava.darkheart): Me meeeeeeeeeee!
[12:21] Kika Yongho: But first you will need to listen all the first 7 questions and the end of the bio.
[12:21] Kika Yongho: “The pictures at the photo cafe are old work that has previously only been shown at an exhibit at the annex and lost in inventory since. They were an attempt to recreate the impressionism of the late 1800 in SL using compositions in combination with post editing. “
[12:22] Kika Yongho: More info about Kian:
[12:24] Kika Yongho: Please Josephine will you start the interview as everyone is ready?
[12:25] Josephine Delvalle: Dear photographers and artists, welcome to a new round of our biweekly discussions.
[12:25] Josephine Delvalle: After our 7 house questions, it’s your turn, dear photographers.
[12:26] Josephine Delvalle: Good evening, Kian, we are happy that you are with us today. Are you ready?
[12:26] Kian (random26356): happy to be here, sure, go ahead!
[12:27] Josephine Delvalle: 1. Who are you? Define yourself in 3 words or a motto.
[12:27] Kian (random26356): Easy! Clever, cute and (just slightly) weird.
[12:28] Josephine Delvalle: 2. How does your background impact your works?
[12:29] Kian (random26356): I don’t know, I’ve always had a thing for the unexpected and just slightly out of the ordinary. Maybe that’s what impact my work the most even in SL?
[12:29] Kian (random26356): I used to shoot a lot of pictures in real life too and at some point I realized that I’d fallen into the same trap as so many others. I had hundreds of stunning pictures of mountains, lakes, fields that was gorgeous the second I shot the pictures but completely irrelevant to everyone else, or even to me the next day. So when composing pictures on SL I purposely position myself up front, taking up space, creating a purpose or connection in the picture.
[12:30] Josephine Delvalle: 3. Does art help you in other areas of your life?
[12:30] Kian (random26356): It’s a way to vent for sure, getting things off my chest or just to capture feelings I have. Im pretty sure you can tell surprisingly much and way too much about who I am by studying my pictures, as odd as they might seem. And also, it keeps me busy and out of trouble!
[12:31] Josephine Delvalle: 4. Who are your biggest artistic influences?
[12:32] Kian (random26356): I’m probably more influenced by the surroundings than any one artist. It’s where I find my inspiration, I always always always shoot on sims, not using backdrops no matter how tempting it might be.
But if I should mention one real life photograph I admire and whose pictures wish I could shoot it would be Vivian Maier.
[12:32] Josephine Delvalle: 5. Show us your favorite photo of someone else, and tell us why is it so.
[12:33] Kian (random26356): i bet you all know or knew her:
[12:33] Kian (random26356): I miss Nekomoko’s pictures so much! Always subtle, always finding the most perfect locations, always filled emotions. I love how Nekomoko positioned herself in the pictures. Always there but always discreet.
[12:34] Josephine Delvalle: The light is wonderful
[12:34] Josephine Delvalle: 6. Show us your favorite photo you took, and tell us why is it so.
[12:34] Kian (random26356): This is a tough one but if I have to pick one:
[12:35] Kian (random26356): I love the unexpected twist to the picture and the story it tells. What happened before the picture was taken and what will happen after?
[12:36] Josephine Delvalle: We let the imagination flow a moment
[12:36] Josephine Delvalle: 7. What question would you ask yourself? And what would you reply to it?
[12:37] Kian (random26356): Oh there are so many things I would love to ask myself and I’m curious what I would answer.
[12:37] Kian (random26356): I think… I would start with asking myself why I look so lonely in the pictures. The simplest reason would be that it’s so much easier to shoot pictures with just me in them but that’s obviously not the whole story.
[12:38] Josephine Delvalle: We will see, if anyone will ask for the whole story
[12:38] Josephine Delvalle: And now, dear photographers and artists, it’s your turn
[12:39] Igi (igielka): Q
[12:39] Dea (dea.onyx): Q
[12:39] Josephine Delvalle: Igi, please
[12:40] Igi (igielka): What does ‘Zornian Woman’ mean? Done
[12:41] Kian (random26356): Anders Zorn was a Swedish painter who did most of his work around 1880 to 1910 maybe and he painted paintings like these, a study of women, sort of
[12:42] Kian (random26356): He’s really the reason i wanted to do these
https://www.konst.se/konstverk/140719
[12:43] Kian (random26356): like that, only my way, that isn’t actually his work. but the style! Done.
[12:43] A. (ava.darkheart): q
[12:44] Josephine Delvalle: Next is Dea please
[12:45] Dea (dea.onyx): What do you consider the biggest pitfall to be for an artist Kian? Done
[12:46] Kian (random26356): Umm I’d say not being able to reinvent ones self. I can take dozens of pictures that are just copies of things I’ve already done. Its uninteresting!
[12:46] Kian (random26356): so yeah, staying clever and creative and new i’d say. Done
[12:47] Kika Yongho: q
[12:48] Josephine Delvalle: and we go on with Ava and her first question
[12:49] A. (ava.darkheart): The use of an inflatable doll in your art can provoke thoughts on objectification or detachment. Do you see this as a deliberate commentary on relationships or human connections and interactions? Or as a celebration of a form of distance, or even disengagement? Notice that you get safe from my feminist scratches as soon as you mentioned Vivian Maier as your inspiration. And so yes, of course we want the whole story! And we also want to know what kind of troubles with Ivy (Look how i put 4 questions in one) Done
[12:49] Josephine Delvalle: Very smart and economic, Ava
[12:51] Kian (random26356): I think it started after a rough break up and i still wanted to do a couples picture but didn’t feel comfortable asking a female friend. So this was a safe way, free of emotions.
[12:52] Kian (random26356): I’ve always tried to place Ivy in non-sexual environments, like vacation pictures, she just happens to be a doll filling in
[12:53] Kian (random26356): but i absolutely understand that it can seem like objectification, thats why i try my hardest to only place her in “safe” surroundings
[12:54] Kian (random26356): and as to the trouble she got me into…
[12:54] Igi (igielka): Q
[12:54] Kian (random26356): I was doing an exhibit at Starborn and had a room with the vacation shots. I brought a lounger and Ivy as a prop for the room, trouble was, if you click her she makes moaning sounds. i could have removed them, i just didn’t think of it
[12:56] Kian (random26356): and a visitor got very very upset!
[12:57] Kian (random26356): I was away for a few days and when i came back i had a bunch of request to remove her and in the end Lizbeth, the gallery owner had to do it.
[12:57] Kian (random26356): So now it was my turn to be upset and replaced all the Ivy pictures with empty canvases for a few days. Very mature, i know!
[12:58] A. (ava.darkheart): Ivy got banned hahah
[12:58] Kian (random26356): she did!
[12:58] Josephine Delvalle: poor innocent Iyv
[12:58] Kian (random26356): But she’s in one of my Zorn painting so you’ll get to see her in a week I’m sure. Done
[12:59] Josephine Delvalle: Kika, your turn please
[12:59] Kika Yongho: What drives your taste in your search for new creativity? What elements tickle you so much to be captured in your photos? Done
[13:02] Kian (random26356): I always come back to nature sims, cant help it. But when there are builds or objects i can use in the pictures, lighthouses to jump from, crocodiles to snorkel with, things to balance on. That fascinates me!
[13:02] Kian (random26356): I think i create the pictures i wish i could do with a camera in real life. Done
[13:02] A. (ava.darkheart): q
[13:06] Josephine Delvalle: we go on with …Ava
[13:08] A. (ava.darkheart): Earlier you said
‘I think i create the pictures i wish i could do with a camera in real life’
I was about to ask (and i do now) that you have a unique style in SL/Flickr and I wondering if it may change the way you take real life pictures now, and if you think about presenting some of your real work one day, in flickr for example? Done
[13:09] Kian (random26356): good question!
[13:10] Kian (random26356): Hmmm maybe i should! I’ve never really shared those before other than snapshots on IG. Maybe i should! I really have changed how i take pictures in real life.
[13:11] Kian (random26356): no more dull kids pictures not even grandparents get excited about, i do try to create unexpected compositions in my real life photography too. I’ll think hard about sharing, its scary but maybe! Done
[13:12] A. (ava.darkheart): sound great
[13:13] Josephine Delvalle: For all your answers and for the different and special photos, Thanks a lot Kian.
[13:13] Kian (random26356): Thank you for having me and letting me share!
[13:14] Josephine Delvalle: Next appointment will be at Noir’Wen, next Sunday the 8th at Photo Expo at Noir’Wen with “Zornian women” – FULL EXPO by Kian starting H. 11 with Shamrock live singer and H. 12 Frank Atisso DJ
[13:14] Josephine Delvalle: Hope to see you there!
