Interview with Anton Z Risan.

Read a short interview with multifaceted London based artist Anton Z Risan (photographer, director, architect and dancer) whose work is also to appear on HONK!mag .04

1. What was the moment you realized you want to get involved with photography?
I've been into photography since I got my first camera at the age of 6 in Sweden, it was an old manual camera, and after taking my first role of film i confidently took the film out and threw it in the bin, i told my mum it was finished, and as I was a very stubborn child she didn't want to argue with me I guess, hehe. I guess I was pre-digital and hoping for downloadable images already back than. Since then I have always taken a lot of photographs, especially when I used to travel around the world with my ballet companies as a dancer. I used to take a lot of landscape and environment photographs or of buildings, but also of my fellow dancer friends etc.

2. What do you prefer to photograph and why?
When I lived in France I used to have my own darkroom where I developed my photographs. I shot a lot of street scenes and watched strangers in public spaces, how people interacted with each other etc. It taught me a lot about different type of characters etc, as I guess I was a bit of a looner. More recently however, I have been photographing a lot of younger models (mainly guys) that are just in the beginning of their careers and building their portfolios etc. I work closely together with four model agencies here in London. I also have a new-found interest in male high fashion and the way you can visualise it in interesting yet un-usual ways, and with every shoot I do at the moment I learn a lot. I have also started a great collaboration with a young Slovakian photographer friend of mine Daniel Fico, which is very inspiring. I run a photography studio called atelier a-z photography.

3. How important are trends and contemporary culture etc in photography?
I think trends are important ofcourse, but for me the beauty of something always has to come first, especially if you want to create something timeless I think. As an architect my work is well organised but at the same time I try not to be too influenced by different eras etc. I must admit I'm pretty ignorant about a lot of things in terms of arthistory and cultural aspects and trends etc. But we have a great team of friends and advisers that are very knowledgable about these things, such as my best friend Dean Stathis and also Lamis Bayar and Ian Powell who I work closely with on a series of different projects. I recently produced and directed a music video ("Greedy Eyes" by Eastman feat Neve), and I produced a feature film last year ("Seeing Heaven").

http://www.atelier-az.org/