style | art
their starting point was capturing a moment in time and working with Island and work connections. The portraits have been shot very much in Julia’s style using simple composition and tones, a singular light source, close cropping and with more than a nod to mythology and folklore. “Telling stories and adding narrative has always been our thing,” says Steve. “It’s what makes us different from our peers.” Julian joins in, “We are focused when we’re full steam ahead. We’re more influenced by narrative and how to illustrate it than anything else and we love the torment of the creative process. It’s an itch we love to scratch.”
The project itself was ‘kicked around’ for a year before it really got going and when asked how the subjects were chosen, Steve and Julian say that there is no set criteria. “Some of it is happenstance – just bumping into someone and thinking that this is just the right person” says Julian, “And then we get the imaginary lego out and play. We enjoy batting an idea around to its extreme and then reining it in,” and this can certainly be seen in the portrait of Robert Thompson, crouched naked in the bare bones of his new restaurant.
There will be a book in the future which will contain the portraits currently being exhibited and a further 25 that they are currently working on and which will be a snapshot of cultural talent on the Isle of Wight in 2015. The exhibition itself runs until the 4th October so there’s plenty of time to get along and see what is a beautifully executed and presented series of Island cultural life stories.
September/October 2015
89
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