Spraygraphic Interview with Francesco Camillo aka International Fiction Club
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
IFC: I studied Art in Basel, Switzerland. Im originary from Italy,
were my parents come from, but I was born in Switzerland on one of the
most coldest days, with people singing songs at home, running around
and spend a lot of Money to feel somehow better, and with the highest
suicide rate ever. Christmas is not a good day to be born, I can tell
you as a child it was one of the most saddest days, because I got only
one present while my sister got always one for her birthday and another
for Christmas. But I remember that I did like the lights flashing
everywhere, every year again and again, until I got 7, because on that
Christmas I stopped to believe in God. There is still a reality behind
Christmas….
At one point of my life I had enough (like I feel mostly of the time, even today), and so I moved to Barcelona….
Today, I'm a photographer, graphic designer, I did some VJ stuff in
Barcelona around, I made some short movies, did some electronic music
productions (not released) under my pseudo SMOKE…..I'm generally into
any sort of cultural movement, if it awakes my interest..
And I'm 32 years old, that was missing…
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
IFC: I live in Barcelona City and I share a studio there called the cutter where I do my work.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
IFC: Photography, and mixed media. I mix sometimes pictures with
graphics design and viceversa, everything is digital, I don't use
analog. For the VJ stuff I use Final Cut and Modul 8, in music I use
Ableton Live, Reason and a lot of VST.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
IFC: As soon as I have an idea to work with, and feasible to do I
call some of my close friends who are usually interested to colaborate
with me. I do normally work alone but on shootings its quite impossible
to do that. I have one Art Director in my team, Alex, who is normally
in charge of finding people who offers them as models, he also
amplifies the idea giving me more inputs on it, and last but not least
a group of Make Up artists, we all normally meet in my Studio and start
with the shooting. Once images are ready, I edit them in different
applications. This is the part where im working alone, lot of
cigarettes and coffee, me and my mac.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
IFC: Thats a good question. Im not really the most positive person
walking on earth. I struggle each month with this issue. What should I
do, where should I begin, why should I even do that. If I have a
deadline its even harder, I sink more and more in a self destructive
thinking. But that's just what helps me to get out and create. Most of
the time I get quite, look at the news and whats happening around,
listen to music, talk to myself quite a lot, its like a mad monologue.
From outside you could think I'm crazy, maybe I even am. There is a 50
% of myself which needs a fictional dark place, otherwise I would not
feel the same passion to do what I do. I always try to get to that
place, there I'm struggling with social environments like the church,
God, the government, war, love, hate, violence, the human being , I
think its the closest feeling to a Somnambulist, dreaming but active,
and in dreams many things can happen and you awake anywhere.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
IFC: Its quite hard for me these days finding inspiration. Lately, I
was talking with my studio mate about this matter, I think I lost my
reference to Icons like artists or musicians or any person recognized
for the work they do, there are many artists and very good ones, but to
get linked to them or have any source of inspiration becomes quite
difficult. We have seen many things, a lot of art has been made, the
message repeats itself again and again, its like a loop where you cant
get out of it; which leads to getting blocked and show probably a low
interest in what you see and what you could do. I always refer to
music, or any audiovisual medium (like movies for instance or even the
news in TV), just to get in touch with any kind of emotions which could
lead me to inspiration. My bathroom is one of my main inspiration
sources as well, I can spend an hour in my bathroom sitting there and
thinking. Funny to think that we go to the bathroom to get clean, I get
my ideas clean there as well.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
IFC: Earlier work (mostly Graphics) in music shops, as I did some
LP/CD Art covers, like for Regular Recordings, Inaki Marins Klinisch
Tod (check it out you will find some images for sure) and some other
records.
Newer works mainly in Internet. Phisically nowhere . Could be that
galleries are afraid to show my work, or it simply doesn't fit their
philosophy. I need to admit that I'm not the best promoter, a lot of
people have the capacity to sell their work, artists who have this
double personality, the passionate crazy artist, and the desperate
seller. Up to now, I didn't have a real interest in selling my work, it
may be because I'm just not sure enough how a picture of mine would
look like behind your couch or on your bedroom wall. It could be that
in a near future I just dont mind about that….
SG: Where will it be seen next?
IFC: Well on Spraygraphic for sure, and….well, lets see….I actually
want to share with the Spraygraphic users some preview of my new
upcoming project "heysatan", basically its a power point of 7 images, I have uploded it in various ppt formats and in a pdf for those who dont use ppt.
Lets say its a limited preview to say thank you.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
IFC: Collaboration with Floria Sigismondi or David Lynch would be
the top., I would love to work with artists like Asia Argento and
Marilyn Manson as well…if we are talking about dreaming….playing in a
Band, I can't play any instrument, but I would love to do that. I was
thinking about singing, but I just thought about the poor people
listening to me…
SG: What is your favorite color?
IFC: All, except BLUE.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
IFC: I like a lot of artists, I can tell you abut the ones who made
me choose a path of expression when I was younger. Floria Sigismondi
(Photographer and Video Director) for her images, her video-clips, the
image treating. Marilyn Manson (Rock Band) for his lyrics and his way
to express them, Joel Peter Witkin (Photographer) for letting dead
people living again….
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
IFC: Im not an intense reader, I read the news paper. Many times I
find myself reading magazines (fashion, design, music etc) in my studio
because my friend buys them. I really need to be interested in a book
to start reading it. I get bored really fast.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
IFC: Yes I did quite a few, well they are in Spraygraphic.com, and other sites, like myspace,
sometimes its important to get involved as well as a model, its good to
know how it feels like to be in front of the camera. In the interview
gallery you will find one, taken from the upcoming project HeySatan,
picture was taken by Alejandro Morillas Verdu.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
IFC: My studio and my home. Its where I hang out most.
SG: Any final words of advice?
IFC:….if you have any good ones, please let me know…
