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INFO: David Luraschi. 27. San Francisco, CA.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidlur/
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The Photo Coterie: We read in your blog that you grew up in Paris, what many consider the art capital of the world, did this environment have something to do with your choice in becoming an artist?
David Luraschi: I would be lying to say that growing up there had nothing to do with a desire to make films or shoot pictures. But it wasn’t a choice per say, I wanted to do these things because they felt good, like swimming. What’s great about growing up in Paris, is the tremendous amount of culture just floating around and available to you. There’s always something going on and people are really enthusiastic, arguing about the latest exhibit or film they just saw. At the same time, my parents were consistently pointing out things because they’ve always enjoyed the arts, especially cinema. I believe there’s a strong influence from the films that I was shown, the paintings and pictures that dressed our home, the records we listened too. Also, I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time around very creative people. I’ve always been attracted to people who do things. A lot of my Parisian friends are incredibly talented in their respective domains, most of which I met through skateboarding in the 90’s (which was another great artistic experience). I don’t know if I answered your question but I think it’s a culmination of all these things and there is no other place like Paris on this planet. I’m very grateful for my parents giving me so much freedom and the friendships I have made in my life.
TPC: What came first, your filmmaking or your photography? How do they influence each other?
DL: I really started with video, my dad always collected cameras (still and video) and I bugged him enough to borrow his VHS camcorder one day and experiment. I’d be curious to see that footage (most likely a lot of Bruce Lee impersonations). Much later, I started filming my friends skate with a Hi8 camera and progressively began to edit the footage to music. The desire for aesthetics first came from there and we had plenty of inspiration from the skateboarding culture that was coming from the US. We would just try to emulate the things we liked. The mid-nineties were pretty exciting; I was 13 when Wu-Tang’s first album came out.
As far as still photography goes, I had a bunch of point and shoots growing up but I never really got into photography until I first came to San Francisco in 2002. I didn’t know many people and a Nikon FM2 (35mm slr) was a great excuse to explore unknown territories and learn about depth of field.
Thinking about how they influence each other, well when I edit pictures these days I try to create a narrative but it’s nothing but primitive feelings. It’s hard to explain in words really… But assembling a few together allows something else to happen. I got very inspired when I studied Soviet Montage and Eisenstein in film school and I remember for a paper we had to apply these theories and break down the opening of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. I got a real kick out of that.
With cinematography, I noticed that shooting with a Hasselblad really put me somewhere else, probably because it was something new and to compose a picture was more challenging. It taught me to think more about “making” a picture: taking more time looking through the lens and wondering if I liked what I saw. I realized that after I did Golden State (http://www.vimeo.com/180943): Most of the film is static imagery shot on a tripod, which what I was doing a lot at the time with the Hasselblad. The PAL aspect ratio (720x576) is close enough to the square that it didn’t feel too remote. Thinking of it now, Halfway Home (http://www.vimeo.com/141358) might have something to do with the kind of 35mm I was shooting at the time, it was very close to a photographic experience as well. So I guess photography has definitely given me a different perspective as a cinematographer and allowed me to be more disciplined about composing an image, especially with video.
TPC: All artists have work that has personal significance, do the pieces you chose have something about them you want to tell?
DL: It’s true that I chose five pictures that could be considered personal work. That’s kind of been my thing I guess, I obviously want to show and share pictures but I think my relationship to photography has always been pretty selfish… Don’t get me wrong, I love taking pictures of my friends and portraiture in general, but there’s also this desire to obsessively collect things and to own them. When I’m looking at these five pictures, all I can see is myself… Of course there’s an auto portrait, but I have a hard time separating my work and myself. You know that feeling of listening to your own voice? I get hypnotized way too often.
All five of these are experiences, they were all taken at a certain time of my life and they allow me to bring me back then. Putting them together is my own little orchestra… It’s interesting how you can weave them together. I definitely have control issues like a few people in my family! So I enjoy having that power, I guess. Who doesn’t like to play God? It’s like trickery; I often to refer to Orson Welles’ film: F for Fake because I wanted to be a magician when I was smaller.
Finally, I have had quite an affinity with natural environments, especially since moving to California. Things come out pretty strong when you confront mankind against these territories. Is there a better place to take a picture? And what about light? I find it fascinating to see things photographed to mention Winogrand. Long exposures are often surprising in that way.
TPC: Do you feel like you take pictures to be more visually pleasing or more to convey a message?
DL: Again it’s a really introverted experience and I’m just trying to play visually with these, there’s no message but rather epiphanies about life, symbols, happenings. The photographs I show make sense to me, they are their own world. I’m not trying to say something but rather produce a feeling, a question. I wonder if people feel the same way I feel about my pictures… I doubt it, but if they feel something, that’s good. I am always surprised from responses I get and it’s fun to see where people go. That’s why I often restrain from too much explanation.
TPC: Do you have anything going on in your life right now that you want to talk about?
DL: I’ve been plotting a show with my dear friend Noele Lusano recently… I’ve wanted to do a book with my ill-studio mate Leonard for a while. I’ve also got two short films in post-production… Odd jobs are kind of taking me away from being really productive lately. I’m saving up for something. I’m just not sure what yet.
