September 2010 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I had the opportunity to meet up with Mark Johnson, exhibiting photographer at Caggio this month. His new series, Eclipsed, features photographs taken in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. In this candid interview with the Scottish-born artist-- a behind the scenes look into Johnson’s life and work-- I got a fascinating international perspective on art and rare insight into compelling issues of our time.
On exhibit at Caggio through September 15, 2010.
Q: You were born and raised in Scotland. Two years ago you settled here in Milwaukee, what brought you to the Midwest?
A: It was my day job in marketing. I was working over in Asia and there was an opportunity to come here and have the position I had in Asia, but on a global basis. I love being in different places, so I thought it was a good opportunity. I moved the family and came here to Milwaukee.
Q: How is Milwaukee? Do you like it?
A: Very much so. I'd lived in America before, in Texas. When I moved here it was February, I was knee deep in snow and freezing cold-- I was thinking this is not what the brochure said -- so I made friends with the snow blower really quickly; I settled right in.
Q: This collection of work focuses on portraits of reptiles, mammals, insects and birds of South Africa's Kruger National Park. What inspired you to chose South Africa's wild lands specifically to host your subject matter? What is your connection there?
A: I've done a lot of travel, I've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of different places around the world. There were two places I hadn't been: South Africa and Egypt. Those two places were on my wish list, so actually through work I got a chance to go. I took three days. I chose animals (as subject matter)-- I don't know if you know the photographer Nick Brandt-- he's an English photographer and his work is just stunning; he approaches animals the same as he would a person. So I thought it would be nice to do that, nice to go photograph animals in that sort of fashion; but obviously you don't want to just emulate the guys you like, you want to put a different spin on it. I was also very conscious of environmental factors, the World Cup was going on at the time. I thought that would be a great opportunity to tie this all together, and come out with something a bit more evocative as a message.
Q: When was this body of work photographed?
A: A little over 3 months ago.
Q: The collection is called Eclipsed (literally, a partial or complete obscuring, or overshadowing of) What a beautiful metaphor for both complex subject matter (modernization eclipsing the land and wildlife) as well as your distinct use of black and white photography. What is the significance of the title to you, and how did it come about?
A: Two fold, you're exactly right, it is a metaphor for the diminishing wilds of Africa. When I looked at it, it's not just the common things that people expect-- industrialization, hunting, these sorts of things-- it's the natural expansion of man as well, agriculture and all these types of things that push into the wilds, and they're being threatened more and more. I lived in Asia for a long time, and I've been down to Borneo and you see the same thing. So on one hand Eclipsed is really my personal belief to look after that a bit more, keep those precious aspects of the world. On the other hand, the whole world is looking at Africa, soccer was on the go, all the nation's eyes were on Africa and how they were going to perform. It was all about new infrastructure going in, vuvuzelas playing, that sort of stuff. All that was going on, and this (native lands and wildlife) was forgotten; this was being eclipsed by the World Cup. I thought how could I take this subject matter and metaphorically describe it in the image-- so that's where the black and white processing came from-- with the dodging and burning. They were all shot during the day, and processed to look like they were taken at night, I wanted to tie that together and get a unique presentation.
Q: Did you go into this journey with an idea for the title, or did the title come to you?
A: The title came after, I liked the presentation. I was going in to do something different. I wanted to tie this all in with one word.
Q: You talk about South Africa's delicate preserves and their fragility in light of human development and expansion; Clearly these beings and ecosystems are threatened. How has photographing these subjects inspired you? Has this experience affected you in other surprising ways?
A: One of the things I mentioned before-- that I lived in Texas-- I was on my own there, the family was back home, so I had a choice, I could do something I've always wanted to do. That was learning how to ride horses. So I took up English riding out there, cross country and jumping. What it really meant to me was this connection-- this bond-- between man and another being. It's the only sport that you're dependent on an animal in that way. So when I was in Africa, I didn't go out with a guide, which is nice because what it meant is that I could just sit for a while and that was the most important part. When you can observe herds of elephants for example, interacting with each other, it really is changing, you're moved in a way you don't get from other experiences. Being there and being with them, that is what I wanted to bring out.
I’ve lived in all sorts of depressed areas. Malaysia, places like that, but I feel myself hardened a little, it (poverty) surrounds you all the time in your day to day life. When I was in India, and when I was in Africa, you expect it to be a very hard place where there's a lot of depression and people being upset, but not at all. They were vibrant, happy with what they had; they made the best of it; that really moved me. The same thing when I came away from Africa, seeing the animals, they don't know any different, they only know what they've got, with hardship around the corner, when the summer comes and waters dry up, that's all they know. They just get on and make the best of it. Really that brought it home to me, we complain a lot about life, what we have and don't have. You should just be thankful for what you do have and get on and make the best of it.
Q: The plight of African elephants and poaching comes to mind. Talk more about your subject matter, the animals in this landscape and what you have learned about illegal and brutal slayings for trade on the black market.
A: There are two points in that-- people look at people who do the killings as the bad guys, but its not that-- the real thing is the demand, you need to stop the demand. The poachers, they're just trying to earn a living too, these are really depressed parts of the world, they've got to do the best that they can. You've got to change human nature higher up on the food chain. You’ve got to stop the demand.
Q: Your focus is conceptual but also aesthetic, what draws you to black and white photography and the minimalist form? What photographers, fine artists, or other creative outlets inspire you? Chiaroscuro comes to mind, art that is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.
A: Nature photography-- Nick Brandt-- but all the greats that go back to traditional photography. There is a quote, "we as photographer's spend our life catching fractions of a moment” and if you add it all together it probably doesn't even add up to a few hours. I like that it's a split fraction of a moment. So for me I look to those photographers who have spent their life looking at life, and for that moment, this is what it was; I don't consider myself a nature photographer, but I present these more like portraits. I present people, animals-- connections is a good word to use-- that's what I like to photograph. Not necessarily a particular subject matter like wildlife, portraiture or weddings, more so, connections and how people interact. This is where I'm going in my next series as well.
Q: Talk a little more about your process of shooting in daylight, then using processing methods to adjust shadows and highlights.
A: When I was in Africa there was no option but to shoot in daylight, you're only allowed in the park between 6am and 6pm. You can go out and do night drives but those are all guided, so given the constraints I was under really I had to shoot during the day. I wanted that aesthetic of appearing after dark. So my approach was to shoot them during the day and turn them into black and white. The lighting that I chose lends itself to that; basically you try and mimic as well as you can the old dark room techniques of dodging and burning. For this series I wanted to keep it as honest as possible, what was there at the time, that's one of the things I think black and white gives you; you look at an image in black and white and it just feels a little more honest than color does.
Q: Your images are taken in close proximity to your subjects. Talk about methods you use as a photographer, and how you approach subjects in this setting and how you handle the inherent dangers in that.
A: Because I'm looking at it as a sort of connection-- the same way as a portrait photographer does-- you want to be as close to the subjects as you can, spend time with them. In the case of wildlife it's more of a case of observation, rather than interacting (if you get too interactive, you better have good running shoes on) I'm by myself for the most part. There was one time, the shot with the rhino, that I was out with a guide, we were out on foot at that point. We did actually get charged there! I got really close with the elephants, I was probably eight or nine feet from them, as close as that for a lot of the time. The elephants are pretty good, you just have to be really respectful, the whole idea is you don't want to interfere you want to keep it observational. You want to get into a position where you feel there's a little more intimacy.
Q: How did the elephants react to you being there?
A: You've got to remember this is in Kruger National Park, there's a lot of traffic through there, I think they more readily accept vehicles moving through the park. At first for a couple of them, they will come over in a full charge, shaking their ears at you a little bit. You just sit quiet and stand your ground, they see that you're not really doing anything to disturb them, and so they just get on with it. Really, you're just not there as far as they're concerned. They have safari vehicles going through the park; or you can go out by yourself. That's what I did, I had my own vehicle, I went out on my own.
Q: You now call the Midwest home. Any plans to use Wisconsin or it's native landscapes for any future work?
A: The people of Wisconsin, yes. I've done a lot of winter shots, something I quite like about here is winter, you get so much snow, it wipes the countryside clean. I've done a lot of black and whites, but to be honest with you, that's been done to death; you get that on every postcard and calendar. I enjoy shooting it but it doesn't really inspire me. So the direction I'll be going in my next series will be focused on people, and how they interact and connect with each other.
I had the opportunity to meet up with Mark Johnson, exhibiting photographer at Caggio this month. His new series, Eclipsed, features photographs taken in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. In this candid interview with the Scottish-born artist-- a behind the scenes look into Johnson’s life and work-- I got a fascinating international perspective on art and rare insight into compelling issues of our time.
On exhibit at Caggio through September 15, 2010.
Q: You were born and raised in Scotland. Two years ago you settled here in Milwaukee, what brought you to the Midwest?
A: It was my day job in marketing. I was working over in Asia and there was an opportunity to come here and have the position I had in Asia, but on a global basis. I love being in different places, so I thought it was a good opportunity. I moved the family and came here to Milwaukee.
Q: How is Milwaukee? Do you like it?
A: Very much so. I'd lived in America before, in Texas. When I moved here it was February, I was knee deep in snow and freezing cold-- I was thinking this is not what the brochure said -- so I made friends with the snow blower really quickly; I settled right in.
Q: This collection of work focuses on portraits of reptiles, mammals, insects and birds of South Africa's Kruger National Park. What inspired you to chose South Africa's wild lands specifically to host your subject matter? What is your connection there?
A: I've done a lot of travel, I've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of different places around the world. There were two places I hadn't been: South Africa and Egypt. Those two places were on my wish list, so actually through work I got a chance to go. I took three days. I chose animals (as subject matter)-- I don't know if you know the photographer Nick Brandt-- he's an English photographer and his work is just stunning; he approaches animals the same as he would a person. So I thought it would be nice to do that, nice to go photograph animals in that sort of fashion; but obviously you don't want to just emulate the guys you like, you want to put a different spin on it. I was also very conscious of environmental factors, the World Cup was going on at the time. I thought that would be a great opportunity to tie this all together, and come out with something a bit more evocative as a message.
Q: When was this body of work photographed?
A: A little over 3 months ago.
Q: The collection is called Eclipsed (literally, a partial or complete obscuring, or overshadowing of) What a beautiful metaphor for both complex subject matter (modernization eclipsing the land and wildlife) as well as your distinct use of black and white photography. What is the significance of the title to you, and how did it come about?
A: Two fold, you're exactly right, it is a metaphor for the diminishing wilds of Africa. When I looked at it, it's not just the common things that people expect-- industrialization, hunting, these sorts of things-- it's the natural expansion of man as well, agriculture and all these types of things that push into the wilds, and they're being threatened more and more. I lived in Asia for a long time, and I've been down to Borneo and you see the same thing. So on one hand Eclipsed is really my personal belief to look after that a bit more, keep those precious aspects of the world. On the other hand, the whole world is looking at Africa, soccer was on the go, all the nation's eyes were on Africa and how they were going to perform. It was all about new infrastructure going in, vuvuzelas playing, that sort of stuff. All that was going on, and this (native lands and wildlife) was forgotten; this was being eclipsed by the World Cup. I thought how could I take this subject matter and metaphorically describe it in the image-- so that's where the black and white processing came from-- with the dodging and burning. They were all shot during the day, and processed to look like they were taken at night, I wanted to tie that together and get a unique presentation.
Q: Did you go into this journey with an idea for the title, or did the title come to you?
A: The title came after, I liked the presentation. I was going in to do something different. I wanted to tie this all in with one word.
Q: You talk about South Africa's delicate preserves and their fragility in light of human development and expansion; Clearly these beings and ecosystems are threatened. How has photographing these subjects inspired you? Has this experience affected you in other surprising ways?
A: One of the things I mentioned before-- that I lived in Texas-- I was on my own there, the family was back home, so I had a choice, I could do something I've always wanted to do. That was learning how to ride horses. So I took up English riding out there, cross country and jumping. What it really meant to me was this connection-- this bond-- between man and another being. It's the only sport that you're dependent on an animal in that way. So when I was in Africa, I didn't go out with a guide, which is nice because what it meant is that I could just sit for a while and that was the most important part. When you can observe herds of elephants for example, interacting with each other, it really is changing, you're moved in a way you don't get from other experiences. Being there and being with them, that is what I wanted to bring out.
I’ve lived in all sorts of depressed areas. Malaysia, places like that, but I feel myself hardened a little, it (poverty) surrounds you all the time in your day to day life. When I was in India, and when I was in Africa, you expect it to be a very hard place where there's a lot of depression and people being upset, but not at all. They were vibrant, happy with what they had; they made the best of it; that really moved me. The same thing when I came away from Africa, seeing the animals, they don't know any different, they only know what they've got, with hardship around the corner, when the summer comes and waters dry up, that's all they know. They just get on and make the best of it. Really that brought it home to me, we complain a lot about life, what we have and don't have. You should just be thankful for what you do have and get on and make the best of it.
Q: The plight of African elephants and poaching comes to mind. Talk more about your subject matter, the animals in this landscape and what you have learned about illegal and brutal slayings for trade on the black market.
A: There are two points in that-- people look at people who do the killings as the bad guys, but its not that-- the real thing is the demand, you need to stop the demand. The poachers, they're just trying to earn a living too, these are really depressed parts of the world, they've got to do the best that they can. You've got to change human nature higher up on the food chain. You’ve got to stop the demand.
Q: Your focus is conceptual but also aesthetic, what draws you to black and white photography and the minimalist form? What photographers, fine artists, or other creative outlets inspire you? Chiaroscuro comes to mind, art that is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.
A: Nature photography-- Nick Brandt-- but all the greats that go back to traditional photography. There is a quote, "we as photographer's spend our life catching fractions of a moment” and if you add it all together it probably doesn't even add up to a few hours. I like that it's a split fraction of a moment. So for me I look to those photographers who have spent their life looking at life, and for that moment, this is what it was; I don't consider myself a nature photographer, but I present these more like portraits. I present people, animals-- connections is a good word to use-- that's what I like to photograph. Not necessarily a particular subject matter like wildlife, portraiture or weddings, more so, connections and how people interact. This is where I'm going in my next series as well.
Q: Talk a little more about your process of shooting in daylight, then using processing methods to adjust shadows and highlights.
A: When I was in Africa there was no option but to shoot in daylight, you're only allowed in the park between 6am and 6pm. You can go out and do night drives but those are all guided, so given the constraints I was under really I had to shoot during the day. I wanted that aesthetic of appearing after dark. So my approach was to shoot them during the day and turn them into black and white. The lighting that I chose lends itself to that; basically you try and mimic as well as you can the old dark room techniques of dodging and burning. For this series I wanted to keep it as honest as possible, what was there at the time, that's one of the things I think black and white gives you; you look at an image in black and white and it just feels a little more honest than color does.
Q: Your images are taken in close proximity to your subjects. Talk about methods you use as a photographer, and how you approach subjects in this setting and how you handle the inherent dangers in that.
A: Because I'm looking at it as a sort of connection-- the same way as a portrait photographer does-- you want to be as close to the subjects as you can, spend time with them. In the case of wildlife it's more of a case of observation, rather than interacting (if you get too interactive, you better have good running shoes on) I'm by myself for the most part. There was one time, the shot with the rhino, that I was out with a guide, we were out on foot at that point. We did actually get charged there! I got really close with the elephants, I was probably eight or nine feet from them, as close as that for a lot of the time. The elephants are pretty good, you just have to be really respectful, the whole idea is you don't want to interfere you want to keep it observational. You want to get into a position where you feel there's a little more intimacy.
Q: How did the elephants react to you being there?
A: You've got to remember this is in Kruger National Park, there's a lot of traffic through there, I think they more readily accept vehicles moving through the park. At first for a couple of them, they will come over in a full charge, shaking their ears at you a little bit. You just sit quiet and stand your ground, they see that you're not really doing anything to disturb them, and so they just get on with it. Really, you're just not there as far as they're concerned. They have safari vehicles going through the park; or you can go out by yourself. That's what I did, I had my own vehicle, I went out on my own.
Q: You now call the Midwest home. Any plans to use Wisconsin or it's native landscapes for any future work?
A: The people of Wisconsin, yes. I've done a lot of winter shots, something I quite like about here is winter, you get so much snow, it wipes the countryside clean. I've done a lot of black and whites, but to be honest with you, that's been done to death; you get that on every postcard and calendar. I enjoy shooting it but it doesn't really inspire me. So the direction I'll be going in my next series will be focused on people, and how they interact and connect with each other.
