Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Bobby Doherty, and Patricia Voulgaris, and more interpret 'isolation' through one picture
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Marcus Schaefer: I think isolation can be great and very healthy—it’s a good opportunity for self-reflection and to enjoy just “being” for a minute. Especially in our industry artists are supposed to keep up in a very fast-paced rat race and hardly find enough time to really put proper thought into their projects anymore. That being said—I truly believe that isolation is a catalyst for creativity and can open certain creative and stimulating backdoors due to the dispensation of various distractions and pressure. Encapsulating yourself can help focus and push your creative energy into a new direction.
Document: Describe your idea for this project and how it relates to the theme of isolation. Is it literal interpretation, abstract idea, something completely random? Why did you choose to do this?
Marcus: I consider the submitted photograph to be something in-between a literal and abstract visual interpretation of the subject. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, self-reflection can result from isolation as well as slowing yourself down and reviewing matters. Though isolation can also totally turn into a mind game—which can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Taking this polarizing idea I wanted to create something that would represent those thoughts with an abstract, surreal and soul-searching touch. Since I am currently isolated in my atelier in the countryside together with my girlfriend I decided to capture a photograph of her to visualize that idea.
Photograph by Bobby Doherty.
Bobby Doherty: This is the fruit bowl that sits on my table every day. Ren [Cook] made the bowl. I thought this was a good representation of isolation because I stare at it every day when I eat breakfast. I hate this soup sticker and I’m not going to make soup with this squash. I don’t like that someone decided to use the actual physical vegetable to suggest I make soup out of it. I like soup but I just don’t ever make it. Every day I look at this sticker and I get angrier and angrier. It feels like someone barged into my house and spray-painted a message across my living room wall and that message says MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP. Who the fuck does this sticker think it is? I’m home alone all day and have this fucking sticker telling me to make soup out of the squash that I BOUGHT, and I literally NEEEVVVVEEERRR make soup.
Document: Describe your process for making this piece.
Bobby: I put the bowl of fruit in my backpack, biked to my studio, set up the bowl with stuff in it, arranged some lights, and took the photo.
Document: Do you normally work alone or with others? How does this impact your work?
Bobby: I work on most commissioned stuff with set designers and food stylists, but I also make a lot of photos alone. I like working alone because I don’t have to worry about what anyone else is thinking or if I’ll like their ideas or not.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Bobby: If you don’t exercise your brain you’ll go crazy.
Document: What are you doing aside from making art to stay sane during isolation?
Bobby: I’m trying to talk to lots of people all throughout the day so I don’t feel too lonely. I’m trying to do lots of pull-ups. I’m eating lots of food. I’m going on long bike rides.
Photograph by Paul Mpagi Sepuya.
Paul Mpagi Sepuya: These are the last pictures I made as observations on my iPhone at my studio, picking up materials to work from home and close up temporarily. My studio manager and I are now working from each of our places, keeping in touch remotely. The first image was intentional, the second an accidental photograph. Probably taken as I was carrying computers, books, etc, out to my car.
Document: Describe your process for making this piece.
Paul: Rather than make something for this prompt, for my working method it makes more sense to search through recent images to find an accident, meaning I didn’t think about before everything shut down.
Document: Do you normally work alone or with others? How does this impact your work?
Paul: There are two kinds of working. The first is shooting, and I never use assistance, and if it’s portraiture, it’s only me and the other friends present. But most of the time I am making photos, it’s just me, observation, and space. The second is administration, the vast majority of what goes on. I work alongside my studio manager, Nico. The impact is something I have yet to process. It sets up logistical problems to working administratively, but that can be mostly solved. As far as making artwork…yet to be seen.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Paul: I make most of my work in isolation, but this is something very different. Boredom, working, re-working and observation are catalysts. Shooting when you think there’s nothing left.
Document: What are you doing aside from making art to stay sane during isolation?
Paul: I’m not making art, I am catching up on so many things that have been neglected. I’m fortunately healthy, have plenty of room at home and outdoor space that needs lots of attention. I have been pulling weeds in the garden, learning how to do climbing training from my living room, and cooking.
Photograph by Carol Civre.
Carol Civre: I really didn’t want to be too literal with this though it seems like maybe I was? Not sure. I just wanted to focus on character creation and materials because lately I’ve been thinking about materials differently in terms of what a surface is made of, what I’m touching, etc.
Document: Do you normally work alone or with others? How does this impact your work?
Carol: I usually work alone. All those memes that are like “when you realize your regular routine is called quarantine” —that’s me. I feel fortunate in that this has not impacted my work a whole lot, and I’m really grateful for everyone who continues to bring me onto their projects.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Carol: Isolation comes with time, and time is a good catalyst for thought so I think this could be helpful for artists who, under normal circumstances, may not have this type of space to think up new creations. That being said, a lot of people are scrambling to stay afloat financially, physically, mentally. There shouldn’t be pressure to be creative at this time unless it’s going to make you feel good or get you paid. I know a lot of people are taking this time to restructure their practice or even to just rest.
Photo by Alexander Coggin.
Document: Describe your idea for this project and how it relates to the theme of isolation.
Alexander: I started gathering up what I had on-hand and the studio and playing around. So: completely random. After I shot this, my partner came to my studio from our flat three blocks away feeling anxious about the world, so I laid him to rest with some whale sounds on the yoga mat.
Document: Describe your process for making this piece.
Alexander: At first I was struck by how arbitrary it feels to be making an image that’s all form, no content, swinging then, wildly, to an incredibly emotional image for me, a spouse all up in his feelings.
Document: Do you normally work alone or with others? How does this impact your work?
Alexander: I normally work alone but this solo-studio-time is impacting my work in that I’m quite unsure of my studio work; I almost don’t trust the images. So it’s an ongoing and quiet dialogue. Making work in the outside world is usually all CrashBoomBang™ for me so this kind of pace and consideration is a welcome change.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Alexander: It can be quieter, so you can really hear your gut.
Document: What are you doing aside from making art to stay sane during isolation?
Alexander: Stretching, snacking, smoking weed, drinking tea, going on long walks, throwing my phone across the room, moisturizing, etc.
Photograph by Oumayma B. Tanfous.
Oumayma B. Tanfous: As far back as I can remember, the last time I photographed myself, and had fun doing it, was probably 13 years ago when I first discovered photography. The idea of being isolated and having only myself to photograph was a good challenge that kind of scared me. Once the process started, I got caught up in it, listening to music, exploring different lights and giving myself the freedom to create and transform the images. It was a sweet therapeutic moment.
Photograph by James Emmerman.
James Emmerman: So much of my personal routine and inspiration to make art revolve around the queer spaces and community in New York. In isolation, I didn’t realize how badly I missed this part of my life until I heard about Club Quarantine. It’s a bootleg, online queer party held every night of the quarantine through a massive Zoom group conference. Essentially the dystopian virtual version of a DIY party nobody knew we needed until now. It’s genius, satisfying not only the desire to see your community but also be seen, and through it I found the inspiration to make this self-portrait.
Document: Describe your process for making this piece.
James: First step was to turn my studio into my own mini-club, primarily through lighting. Next step was to get !dressed!, open a beer, and log on. I joined the party, clicked record, and this is a resulting still. I then printed and scanned the screenshot, to give the image a tactile quality that’s meant to evoke the way in which Club Quarantine exists online but is, for each individual who logs on, also an in-person experience, irl and url.
Document: What are you doing aside from making art to stay sane during isolation?
James: Honestly, I can’t stop playing Grand Theft Auto on my boyfriend’s PS4… he says I don’t hold the controller right but I feel good about it.
Photograph by Patricia Voulgaris.
Patricia Voulgaris: For my piece, I was inspired by the tagline Pandemic, but make it fashion. The coronavirus has turned our daily lives upside down, forcing us into a lonely, isolated state. Our interactions with each other are limited, distant, and lack in physical contact. As a way to cope during these difficult times, celebrities and average human beings have taken extreme measures to ensure that they are safe from the virus. I decided to create my own apocalyptic mask that encompasses all of these things.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Patricia: Isolation can certainly be a catalyst for creativity. When we are alone with our thoughts, we are focused on ourselves and foster our creativity. It is so important to rest your mind and disconnect from the world. Collaboration is pivotal to my practice, it is a matter of finding a balance between the two and existing in that particular headspace.
Photograph by Emily Lipson.
Emily Lipson: It’s only been about a week and a half since we started quarantining and I already feel myself going stir crazy. This is how I imagine I’ll look 5 or 6 weeks down the road, maniacally tallying the amount of days I’ve spent inside.
Document: How can isolation be a catalyst for creativity?
Emily: Well, it’s certainly harder to find yourself distracted from creating something when you can’t go outside. Sprinkle in lots of time and the limitations of working with only what is at your disposal, and you have yourself a hearty creative puzzle.
Document: What are you doing aside from making art to stay sane during isolation?
Emily: Cooking, cleaning, and pruning my plants.
