BY STEVE BISSON
1. Tell us about your educational path. What was your relationship with photography at that time?
I have a bachelor’s degree in art history and studio art. While in college, I worked as an assistant for two photographers—one who primarily did advertising and editorial work (Michael Malone) and one who specialized in architectural photography (Patrick Drickey).
2. What were the courses that you were passionate about and which have remained meaningful for you?
Generally speaking, I was (and still am) especially interested in classical and modern art, and in all periods of architectural history. Regarding studio art, I would say the foundational courses in design have remained the most meaningful for me. I learned a tremendous amount about the mechanics of photography—cameras, film, lighting, and darkroom work—on the job.
© Lisa Boughter, ‘In Parentheses’
3. Any professor or teacher who has allowed you to better understand your work?
No, but talking with my husband—who was an art historian—about my work and creative process was invaluable to me.
4. What do you think about photography in the era of digital and social networking?
To be honest, I think photography as a medium has both suffered and been enhanced by digital technology. One very positive note for photography in the digital age is social networking. Through JPG Magazine and then Flickr, for example, I met a group of international photographers with whom I’ve been interacting since 2008. In addition to receiving critical feedback on my own work, I’m exposed to a constant stream of really outstanding work by this group. So far, this experience has also led to a book—‘MODISMO: An Anthology of Photography’—that was edited and produced by Kurt Nimmo in 2009, and a project and exhibition—‘Souvenirs’—that was curated by Llorenç Rosanes and shown throughout Catalonia in 2011 and 2012.
5. You are also specialized in providing archival imaging and exhibition prints for artists, galleries, museums, and libraries. This is a very interesting topic of which we hear too little. Often even artists and photographers are not aware at all of its importance. Could you comment on this?
I sometimes photograph artwork for the purpose of attribution and authentication, as well. I agree that it is not uncommon for artists to be unaware of the importance of keeping a visual record of their work and of what is involved in creating this type of photograph. Once a painting, sculpture, architectural model—or any other one-of-a-kind piece—is sold or dismantled, the only record the artist has of its existence are the photographs he or she had commissioned of it. These photographs must be as accurate a representation of the object as possible. Lighting and color reproduction are critical, and, regarding three-dimensional work especially, so is composition. The same is true for installations: once an exhibit closes, photographs are the most reliable record curators and artists have of how the space and lighting were configured.
© Lisa Boughter, ‘Cellular Sketchbook’
I’ve always enjoyed printing, and (in addition to printing my own work) have been producing exhibition prints for a couple of years now. Most recently, I printed ‘Zoe Strauss: Sea Change’. How a photograph looks online can vary quite a lot depending on screen calibration and other factors; with that in mind, in most cases, I believe a custom-made print is still the ultimate representation of a photograph.
6. About your work now. How would you describe your personal research in general?
I read a lot. My personal work is continually influenced by what I’m reading (and vice versa), whether it’s non-fiction or fiction. In general, I find myself always exploring concepts of time, memory, perspective, and visual perception.
7. Tell us about your latest project?
‘Mind the Gap’ is the project I completed most recently. It grew out of two separate but interrelated series—‘Periphery’ and ‘Intermission’. Both of those series were concerned with intermediacy: ‘Periphery’ with the spaces between and ‘Intermission’ with in-between or transitional moments in time.
© Lisa Boughter, ‘Mind the Gap’
8. Is there any contemporary artist or photographer, even if young and emerging, that influenced you in some way?
Absolutely. There are others, but I often find myself revisiting the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto, William Eggleston, Thomas Ruff (especially the ‘Cassini’, ‘Stereo Photographs’, ‘Stars’, and ‘Interiors’ series, and the building portraits he created for the Swiss architectural firm, Herzog & de Meuron), and Cindy Sherman’s ‘Untitled Film Stills’. I would include David Lynch’s directorial work for film and television in that list, too.
9. Some books of photography or not photography that you recommend, and why?
I think every photographer should read ‘Camera Lucida’ by Roland Barthes and ‘In Praise of Shadows’ by Junichiro Tanizaki, and peruse the monograph, ‘Thomas Ruff: Surfaces, Depths’. Its focus is much narrower than the books by Barthes and Tanizaki, but I would also recommend ‘Looking Through DuChamp’s Door: Art and Perspective in the Work of Duchamp, Sugimoto, and Jeff Wall’ by Hans Belting. Other books that I encourage everyone to read are ‘The Rings of Saturn’, by W.G. Sebald, ‘Labyrinths’, by Jorge Luis Borges, and the ‘Divine Comedy’ by Dante Alighieri.
© Lisa Boughter, ‘Cellular Sketchbook’
10. Is there any show you’ve seen recently that you find inspiring? Also could you tell your impressions of the installation and project ‘Prison Obscura’, an exhibit curated by Prison Photography editor Pete Brook.
‘At War with the Obvious: Photographs by William Eggleston’ (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and ‘Sophie Calle: Last Seen’ (at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum). Curiously, a few of the exhibitions I’ve seen recently that I’ve found most inspiring are video projects: Jennifer Steinkamp’s ‘Madame Curie 1’ (at the Sheldon Museum of Art); James Nares’ ‘Street’ (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art); and Tacita Dean’s ‘JG’ (at Arcadia University Art Gallery).
‘Prison Obscura’ is a traveling exhibition, and its installation is tailored to each venue in which it’s shown. I’m most familiar with the initial installation, which was at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery. Although the curator, Pete Brook, is a prison and sentencing reform activist, he doesn’t overwhelm viewers with a lot of explanatory wall text—he lets the work speak for itself. I think it’s fair to say that the majority of Americans don’t spend a lot of time contemplating our prison system; ‘Prison Obscura’ will change that. For me, the most intriguing project in the exhibition is Josh Begley’s ‘Prison Map’. ‘Prison Map’ is compelling on its own, but its impact is even greater when seen within the context of the other work.
11. Projects that you are working on now and plans for the future?
I’m currently working on three series: ‘Cellular Sketchbook’, ‘In Parentheses’, and one tentatively titled ‘Terra Incognita’. The photos in ‘Cellular Sketchbook’ were originally intended just as notes to myself. I would encounter a scene that interested me, make a quick sketch of it with my phone, and return later to photograph it with a “real” camera. I still do that to a certain extent, but I’m so fond of the sketches and the spontaneous quality they have that I decided to make them a project on their own.
I hope to publish ‘Mind the Gap’ as a book in the near future and have some special plans for ‘Cellular Sketchbook’, too.
© Lisa Boughter, ‘Terra Incognita’
12. Could you name a few contemporary US photographers that have captured your attention recently?
Yes! Philip-Lorca diCorcia (his ‘Heads’ and ‘Hustlers’ series, in particular) and Taryn Simon (especially her project, ‘An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar’).
13. Why did you choose to collaborate with Urbanautica? And how will you help us to better approach and understand the United States photography scene?
I’ve been following Urbanautica for years and am excited to have been invited to become part of the curatorial team. I’m continually exposed to the work of emerging and established photographers, and am looking forward to sharing with the rest of the world the most refreshing and interesting work I come across that’s happening in the United States.