In Conversation | Christopher Köller
Palacio Fronteira, Lisbon, Portugal 2009
Christopher Köller will be exhibiting Parádeisos, photographs
of both international and local gardens produced between 1997 and 2009 at
Wallflower, opening Friday October 19 from 5-7pm. In the tradition of our
previous shows we have asked him some questions about his work, life and
experiences.
If you don’t mind me asking, how many years have you been
photographing for? You are respected as one of Australia’s most established and
senior image-makers.
I was the family photographer at nine years of age. However my
first exhibition was in 1981.
Let me continue with a second question which is a bit laborious
and many photographers don’t like to deal with. Your projects I think are a
celebration of the medium in analogue mode; you seem to champion film (and
plastic cameras) but not totally for “respected” qualities but also inherent
flaws. Many believe that digital advancements are liberating photography,
taking it to audiences that wouldn’t usually be interested, for example, at the
ACP you can do a course to “better use your iPhone camera” but online you can
also purchase t-shirts with the slogan “buy film not pixels”. What are your
thoughts on digital photography and what’s happening to analogue production?
I still prefer to use film because of the quality of analogue
camera lenses—from the cheap faulty plastic of the Diana to fine German Zeiss
lenses for Leica and Rolleiflex. I use digital technology in transferring from
the film to the print and love the capacity to tinker and improve the
information on the negative. I still love proof sheets as a way of editing and
learning from mistakes and successes.
At Wallflower we are showing the Parádeisos series, which has
been produced in many countries, how did it begin? And what would you like to
tell us about the project?
The series began with a commission to photograph
something—anything, in Ararat Victoria for an exhibition and the Art Gallery of
Ararat’s collection in 1997. As most of the other photographers involved were
photojournalists, I decided to photograph gardens.
As well as diverse locations, there are multiple stories and
historical settings in Parádeisos, what role does travel play in these
works? Do you research the places before you shoot or are the location and
shooting process more intuitive?
I have an interest in gardens and their design and I had studied
bonsai in Japan in the 1980s. Sometimes I travel to places to visit particular
gardens I have researched, sometimes I take the Diana with me when I am
travelling in case I come across a garden. It has become increasingly research-driven
because there are features that make certain gardens better to photograph.
Your work “Milano” was, amongst other things, related to the
past impinging on contemporary reality, do you feel that you have also touched
on this idea in Parádeisos? How important is the ‘hand’ of the designers
and gardeners and of course the people that consume these spaces?
Yes I agree the gardens are mostly historic, although I do
photographic remarkable contemporary gardens too. But I have also photographed
the topiary in Paris Disneyland and in a parking lot in Los Angeles. It varies
about how important the designers and gardeners’ work is the final result. But
also the weather, time of day, time of year and the dice roll of the Diana’s
random leaking of light are significant.
Your book Parádeisos is published by M.33 and is available
through Wallflower, can you elaborate on producing a book, especially now as
it’s so much easier and accessible to do so in Australia.
The digital revolution has reduced the price of pre-production
and overseas printing has become very competitive. I enjoyed
working with the designer, editor and author of the essay, choosing the works
to include, but the interaction with the printer was a bit stressful at times.
In an interview with
Kings ARI for your 2010 video retrospective ‘Killing time’ you mentioned
harboring a “secret desire to be a film maker”. I must admit I have the same
desire but I’m unclear where or if it will ever be played out. Do you think you
will be pursuing your own cinematic desire in the near future?
I have long been obsessed with film and enjoy reading film
theory. I did briefly study film-making at Prahran. I will continue to make
videos. I collaborated recently with Elizabeth Presa on one called Screen
Test 508 which was shown at Screen Space gallery in May this year
(2012).
As with myself, I believe you have a deep and engaged interest
with the Land of the Rising Sun. Although this is meant to be a short
interview, can you tell me when you first visited, about your experiences there
and how it may e/affect your work?
I have been interested in a range of Japanese cultural
phenomena. In the 1970s I studied kendo (sword-fighting) when I was living in
London and I got interested in Japanese cinema, especially Oshima, Ozu,
Kurosawa and Imamura. I was interested in Japanese photographers when I was
studying photography, especially Daido Moriyama, Eikoh Hosoe and Masahisa Fukase
whose work I still love. I lived in Japan from 1982-84 where I started visiting
gardens.
As a long-time educator and head of photography at the VCA for
many years, how do you feel about the present dismal cuts and closing down of
particularly Humanities and Social Sciences and art departments within
universities? What is for the future of arts education? I must admit it looks
like very unstable ground.
It was disparaging to constantly have to whittle away
staff hours, and to do more with less money. Also the pendulum had swung too
far to the side of paperwork at the expense of time spent teaching. The few who
are passionate and driven will find ways to educate themselves and learn
wherever they can. However cutting education funding doesn’t have a positive
impact on the education of the majority of young people, and they miss out. To
compete globally as an intelligent and creative nation we need people with a
wide range of skills, the nature of which can’t always be perfectly
anticipated, and also shouldn’t rest only on demand.
Extending on the last interview with Robert Canali (who is
actually also a musician), I asked him at the end of the interview if he had a
question for us, to which he replied “what will you be listening to while
installing the show?” I think I am comfortable saying a lot of your work is
“operatic”, what would you recommend punters listen to while
viewing Parádeisos?
I would suggest listening to Mariza, the leading contemporary
Portuguese fado singer. Fado is romantic, nostalgic and almost always sad—about
unrequited love, love that has ended, love that should end.
And to conclude, any questions for myself and/or Team
Wallflower?
Where is the best coffee in Mildura?
As we are sponsored by Stephano's brewery, of course we can only
endorse their product...
Christopher Köller’s Parádeisos will
run in the main gallery until November 13.
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