Photographer Frank Lanzkie on nude art, economics of art, black models, etc...

[achali]

SOURCE
http://theartlovesex.com/?p=396

In this modern day society, photography and the arts are on a strong uprise once again. There are only a very few individuals who creativly bring images to the next level and frank lankzie is one of them. He successfully thinks outside the box and takes his work where there are no limits.



How do you describe your Photography to people?

Ha! I use regular industry terms. Editorial, Beauty, Fashion etc. I try not to speak of my work in lofty emotive terms as I prefer to let the work speak for itself.

What is your views on Nude/suggestive photography?

I love Implied/Suggestive nudity. I think the woman’s body is very beautiful and all women should be proud of their bodies. Implied/Suggestive nudity can look really awesome if done in a tasteful manner. Also, the theme or story must be strong…some photographers just get models to flash skin just for the heck of it and this is when the photos start to look chessy.

Did your early photographic goals include earning a living from photography, or did it start as a way to express yourself creatively?

I was a hobbyist photographer for 6 years before I decided to go pro and I’ve always looked at it as a way to earn a living AND as a way to do something which I love. Art and commerce can intersect you just have to know as a photographer the difference between the two and how to merge the two.

Your views on African American models in the photography/fashion industry?

There are a lot of beautiful African American women and men who don’t get the breaks that they need to work and be successful. It’s a hard thing to see but I believe that slowly things are changing for the better. Traditional magazine like Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar still use mostly white/european models while some of the newer brands like V, ID and Zink are using more African-American models, but it’s still a long way to go. In time, art directors and editors will start to see that African American women have the skills and beauty to tell the stories that they want to tell in their magazines. We all (photographers, MUAs, models) just have to keep working hard and keep working to put the best work that we can in our ports.

Do you feel like what you are doing is important?

It’s important to me. When I work on a picture in post, I don’t do body slimming/airbrushing in Photoshop. I only do what needs to be done to enhance an already solid photograph. Flaws and all, we are beautiful as we are. Makeup and other things should only be used as a way to enhance what’s already there not as a way to add what isn’t there. I try to show that in my photography.

Must art have a relationship to the rest of the world?

Must it have a relationship? No. Can the artist use his or her art to speak on an injust condition or myth? Yes. There are many art pieces that have no connection whatsoever to social injustices of the world yet these pieces are no less important than the ones that do. The artist’s job is to bring out on the canvas, photograph or sculpture whatever it is that they feel in their spirit. How it is viewed or what it is perceived to be connected to is up to the viewer to decide.

Lastly, could you talk about any long-term goals you have in mind?

Hmmmmmmm? I’ve got a lot of these, lol!!! I would love to get agency representation and be able to work with the magazines that I previously mentioned. I would love to work on a Tom Ford or Marc Jacobs ad campaign. They both try really hard to blur the lines between art and commerce. Moving to New York is definitely on the must-do list. MORE TATTOOS! I would love to be a 2nd shooter for Terry Richardson. I think his work has greatly influenced how I approach photography and it would be awesome to be on a shoot and pick his brain or watch him interact with the models. Even though I mainly want to stay in the realm of fashion photography I would love to put out a book or showcase at a gallery. Some of the concepts that I’ve sketched out would be really cool as a gallery showcase. And I definitely would love the chance to photograph Prince. He’s such a mystery still to most of his fans and I think it would be awesome to photograph him candidly in the studio or doing regular down to earth stuff. Oh yeah, I would love to have my work featured on Karin + Raoul’s blog and more work featured on Art.L&ve.Sex!!!!