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INFO: Benford Lepley.19.New York, NY.
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The Photo Coterie: Your website said you are going to school in Manhattan, what is your major and why did you pick it?
Benford Lepley: I’m a photography major. I picked it because I didn’t think there was anything else I would be interested in pursuing. I quickly learned that the school I chose to go to wasn’t conducive to the type of work I’d like to be doing, so it feels like a struggle most of the time.
TPC: We noticed on your flickr you post not only pictures but words, some of which are visually abstracted. Are they all as straightforward as they appear? Are you trying to get a certain reaction from them?
BF: I have always made those text pieces on a whim. I’m not really sure if they’re as straightforward as they appear. They are to me, because they always have to do with what is going on in my head at the time. The distortion sort of lends itself to my state of mind, but I mostly like the way it looks. I made a huge amount from excerpts of emails between my parents and me once I moved away from home. It became our main form of communication. I don’t think I really ever gave much though into how people would react, but a lot of people tend to think of it as a game or something fun. I get a bunch of silly responses. But a lot of times they are serious thoughts on personal issues. I guess if someone else could read it and try to understand it in the their own context, it would be pretty neat.
TPC: Your project “I Took A Road trip On The Internet” is one of the most interesting projects we have seen. What is the story behind its creation?
BF: I spend too much time inside on the internet. I want to see the world. Google maps allowed me to do this to a certain extent. I appropriated images from google street view and created this virtual road trip. It all started with looking at the views of Big Sur. I really enjoy how lots of times people think I’ve actually gone and photographed these landscapes. It shows you how “easy” it can be to make beautiful photographs of beautiful places. I can do it by sitting in my chair on my computer.
TPC: Could you explain the title of you series “I Adore You?”
BF: I spent too much time worrying about certain aspects of my work this past summer and I felt very unproductive. I made all these photographs though, because I was shooting for “therapy”. I guess it’s work that shows what I was subconsciously making while I was focused on a bunch of other crap.
TPC: Do you have anything going on in your life right now that you want to talk about?
BF: Some newly found friends and me are taking a trip to Chicago to see Pete and the rest of the Pilsen kids in a few weeks. It should be fun. I love the fall weather that is beginning to hit New York, too. I like walking around in parks with Amy. I like hanging out with Bobby and Dave and Jake. I like skateboarding and miss my friends from back home who I skateboard with. Thank you for the interview guys!
