P1xels Interview With Roger Guetta

Knox: Please tell us a little about yourself – where you  live, if you hail  from Earth, anything like that. Whatever you feel  like sharing that  isn’t covered in the questions below.

Knox: How long have you been shooting pictures with your iPhone?

Roger: I received my iPhone about eight months ago and started experimenting with it a few months later. It is the best decision I have made in many moons.

    Knox:   How often do you work on your art?

Knox: When did you get serious about iphoneography, and what was the turning point for you?

Roger: I remember the first app I purchased was PhotoFilter and found it to be tedious and cumbersome. Taking chances with the sliders and waiting for it to render really didn’t appeal to me. I dropped  the whole notion of iphonography for a few months, but later uploaded some other more intuitive apps and started seeing the possibilities.

A world of options opened up for me and 'that's all she wrote.' I've been an addict ever since.

I have since then made up with PhotoFilter.

Knox: What do you like to shoot? When? How does your whole creative process work? And how has it evolved?

Roger: I will turn 60 in September. I have lived a life in the 'arts' for some 40 years. This affords me a myriad of different processies in which I have engaged in and can call upon. I have been involved in both collective and solo endeavours and each has it's specific modes of operation. For me, however, each starts with observation. A third eye which dispassionately watches my life’s stream, compartmentalizes and retains it. I then wear various metaphoric 'hats' to run through how I will approach the challenge at hand.

Soon I engage and allow a 'stream of consciousness' process to take over. Layering, scratching, manipulating, welcoming both 'eureka'  and ‘doh’ moments equally. One thing leads to another and sometimes I produce what I had initially envisioned and other times the image takes a life of it's own and proclaims itself.

I began this answer by divulging my age. That is because, now at this stage of my development all these aforementioned mental techniques come at a relatively fast pace. I have to say though, the greatest thing that comes from experience is; knowing when a piece is finished. I have had a hard time with that little ditty for a long stretch. No more.

Knox:  Do you spend time online looking at the work of other  iphontographic artists?

Roger: Absolutomundo!! Pixel provides!! EYEEEM provides!!! iPhoneArt provides!!! Flickr provides!!! Not to mention FB!!!

Some outstanding work is being produced. 

Knox: Have you done a lot of traditional photography? If so,  are you still using your camera as well as your iPhone?

Roger: I have always been a manipulator. I started with Polaroids, pushing the emulsion of the late 1970's SX70s when it was like goo under my stylus.

They improved upon it of course and it got harder and harder to control. I then enlarged them in Cibachrome for shows.

About 4 years ago I bought a Sony DSC-H9 and began manipulating electronically. My Flickr site is jam packed with those works. 

Knox:  Where do you stand on the "Is iPhoneography photography or a whole new medium" debate?

Knox:  Who are some artists - in any medium - you admire or have influenced you?

Roger:

Visual:

Michelangelo (DAVID)

Egon Schiele

Magritte

Duchamp

Man Ray

Lucas Samaras

Mark Rothko

Diane Arbus

and a ton of others

Theatre:

Artaud

Brooks

The Living Theatre

Arrabal

Boal

and a ton of others

Film:

......a ton

Fellini got me started!

Philosophy:

I have to add Jiddu Krishnamurti here because I try to emulate his theory of the 'Quiet Mind' when I create (living it however is a bit trickier....but... I do try!)

Knox:  What is your basic app kit, or Camera Bag, as Marty Yawnick calls it. How has your use of apps evolved over time?

Roger: Throw in: Montage Pro, Juxtaposer, Iris, DXP, BlurFX, PhotoForge 1 and 2 ....and I'm a happy camper! (Hey....I've been known to use FaceGoo in a pinch!)

I think I know my apps well enough now that I can see what they will do as I am composing and shooting my image.

Knowing where they all are is a gift as well. 

Knox: Are there any apps you don't like?

Roger:  PhotoFilter!!!! (ha ha ha !!)

Knox:  Are there any specific improvements you would like to see made to existing apps?

Roger: Give me some options on 'Spica' for crying out loud!!!

Knox:  Are there any apps you would like to see  developed/invented?

Roger: An app with a selection tool would be nice. I just added 'CutoutCreator' to my arsenal and it's close!!

An app creating real day glow images to be seen in a darkened room for full effect.

An app which flashes up periodically to remind me not to drink so many espressos.

Knox: When you feel you have reached a creative stalemate,  and believe your work is not cutting it anymore, do you have any tricks for breaking out of artist's block?

Roger: I am in constant motion when it comes to my creativity. Age again. I don't look for inspiration...I recognize it everywhere. Incubation, sometimes helps. You know, leave the sucker for a while, then attack it with renewed verve later!!

In addition to the above video I also;

Hammer a lobster to get to the meat, close my eyes when I chew on the tail and wash it down with a Pernod and water. That does the trick most of the time too!

Knox: What features would you like to see implemented at the  Pixels website?

Roger: Maybe devise ways to achieve more of a 'community' feel.

 Here's a suggestion: Change the icon so the man is wearing a Fez instead of a bowler hat?

 .... I love that it's curated, though.

 Pixels really is awesome as it is!!

Knox: A last word perhaps?

My Site:  http://www.rogerguetta.com/

My Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinstars/

My Tumblr: http://draman.tumblr.com/

My Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/roger.guetta1?ref=profile

My Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RogerGuetta

My Representation: http://www.normanfelix.com/

email: photography@rogerguetta.com

I would like to thank Ariel Poupart for his help in putting this concept together

....and a reminder that it is Knox's music on the first video. Thank, K !