-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
Everyday life is an inspiration. I love to “people watch” and imagine what is going on in their life. A majority of my inspiration has come from David Bowie, J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King. I love how David Bowie would bring a concept to life, Tolkien’s creation of a world and Stephen King’s ability to find the horror and terror.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
I think it is a necessity for artists to express their revolution. There are people who will understand and align to take action in the revolution. Expression through art, actions and words will create the connections that we need to bring about change.
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
I believe that the media needs to become more of a social platform that allows people to comment and interact. The world would be a more peaceful place if the “it’s over there, not here” mentality would end.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
I have written a project about the early days of the Pandemic shutdown. The short film should be ready before December 2024.
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
As a multimedia artist and composer who works with photography, video, graphic art and music there are numerous artists who have inspired me over the years. However, there are four persons and their perspectives on art that really stand out as influences for very specific reasons. The fact that I prefer to work in minimal, neutral studio settings with flat surfaces as a décor and texture-free human figures and faces as my subject matter is most certainly a result of my early passion for the work of Kitagawa Utamaro, the 18th century Japanese ukiyo-e artist whose work with portraiture had a major impact on my work. The flat planes of activity, human forms reduced to traces devoid of volume and the absence of photographic perspective in his woodblock prints spoke to me and left an indelible mark on my approach to spatial and textural considerations. Because I began my career as a photographic artist rather late at the age of 26 with no formal or informal experience in the field, I think my lack of baggage led me to question the conventional wisdom of my new field. Two things puzzled me. The first was why everyone seemed to be trying to make their images as three-dimensional as possible? Reality was three-dimensional and I certainly wasn’t interested in creating realistic visual interpretations of the world. I was interested in finding ways to represent my intellectual, psychological and emotional relationships with those around me (including those I would never know) and it seemed to me that the semi-abstract quality of juxtaposed flat fields of graphic, detail-free forms constituted a powerful aesthetic perspective worth exploring. The second thing that puzzled me was that most subject matter was rather concrete in nature. It was concerned with situations we see around us or we hear about on the news every day. It was not that such subjects didn’t interest me, as a private citizen they obviously did, but as an artist, I wanted to explore the states of mind responsible for our views on the world and our relationships with others. I was interested in exploring more intangible subject matter such as doubt, ambiguity, shame, wonder, satisfaction and desire. I needed both a conceptual and aesthetic approach which promoted the development of such themes and it seemed to me that flat surfaces and traces, rather than voluminous forms and details were more apt to satisfy my ambitions for non-linear narratives. In both my recent digital new media work, including my films, the only textures I explore are those that represent veils covering the entire area of my work, semi-opaque barriers that separate the viewer from the universe I am exploring, positioning them as voyeurs regarding scenes that perhaps mirror their own lives. When I was starting out as a photographer, there was one photographer whose work had a profound impact on me from a compositional point of view. Ralph Gibson’s early work taught me that the edges of an image were as important as the central area and that these border areas were capable of creating unique and diverse forms of tension in an image. I realized that every point in an image space has the same potential power until we define a clear objective, after which, the points in space most apt at supporting our objective reveal themselves. His work also taught me that large grain was not a problem. In fact, it was simply another textural parameter capable of provoking different sensations of visual depth unrelated to conventional notions of volume. His work continues to inspire my new media work in both digital photography and filmmaking. I first came into contact with video art when I founded the photography department at the American Center in Paris in the early 80s. The Center was known all over Europe for its dedication to the promotion of video art as a powerful new form of artistic expression thanks to the leadership of Don Foresta, director of the institution’s Center for Media Art. It was there I discovered the works of young video artists such as Bill Viola, Gary Hill, William Wegman and Joan Logue. Joan’s work in particular, attracted me immediately. Her 30 second portraits of contemporary artists fascinated me by their power to deliver provocative messages and raise relevant questions in such a short time frame. I was hooked. I began to make my first videos in 1983. Lastly, I am not sure that I would have been able to maintain the level of excitement and enthusiasm that characterized my journey as a young artist during the 80s and 90s if it had not been for the ongoing inspiration provided by both the philosophy and works of John Cage. For me, there is no greater 20th century art philosopher than Cage. The ideas behind his development and use of chance techniques in musical composition, his revolutionary collaboration with choreographer Merce Cunningham and reprioritization of silence as an equal partner in the quartet of parameters that determine and define musical composition – sound frequency, timbre, duration of sound and silence – influenced every field of 20th century artistic creation. If chance continues to be an integral part of my creative process concerning the development of the non-linear storytelling that characterizes my films today, it is in large part thanks to the work of Cage. His thoughts and works remain close friends.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
I agree that all true artists are rebels of one form or another. We tend to be allergic to complacency and the status quo defended by the manipulative power structures present in all societies. I do not believe that we choose to be artists. In some fundamental sense, we have no choice. It is not a profession. It is a personal mission of exploration. I believe that there is a certain inevitability about the paths we take. I believe we have an obligation to express our innermost confusion, anxiety, wonder and yes, even hope, regarding those aspects of the human condition that preoccupy us, including those directly related to the seats of reactionary power. And this brings me to an important distinction: the difference between presenting solutions to relevant challenges that confront us on social and individual levels as opposed to raising relevant questions about such issues. I personally believe that one of the most important roles of contemporary art of any kind is to raise probing questions about those challenges we perceive as relevant to improving the human condition. This involves presenting new perspectives on the issues in question. There are no genuinely new subjects, only innovative perspectives on the age-old ones that often appear clothed in new contexts. When instead of raising relevant questions, we offer solutions (often overly simple ones), we can easily drift into a form of propaganda that proports to have answers to profoundly complex questions. So, yes, artists have an obligation to promote their personal revolutionary ideas. However, I believe they are most effective when they stimulate serious reflection and debate on the subject in question rather than offering ready-made solutions about what we should think about them. I suppose what I am saying is that our art is best served when it has social, psychological and emotional relevance rather than narrow political positioning. However, I do not mean to imply that we remain neutral. I simply suggest that our artistic objectives are best served by raising questions from perspectives that prioritize our personal positioning on issues. Nor do I mean to imply that propaganda in its many diverse forms is not relevant to social and individual evolution and change. As a private citizen, I believe in the importance of taking and defending firm, clear political positions. However, I do not see my role as an artist as one that seeks to actively convince others of my views. As such, my work tends to suggest rather than affirm. It seeks to stimulate reflection and conversation on specific aspects of the contemporary human condition as I perceive them.
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
No, sadly, I do not believe that, in general, the increased dissemination of art through the media and social networks can make the world a more peaceful place. Although I do believe that creative work of a more commercial or accessible variety (for example graffiti artwork, well-crafted commercial movies, progressive television programs, …) can sway opinion on many issues, the people directly affected by such work are not necessarily those responsible for the decisions to engage in violent and/or anti-social behaviour. I do not believe that the general public is responsible for the types of decisions that involve a perceived need to resort to forms of physical or psychological violence on local, national and/or international levels. Perhaps over time, a shift in public positioning brought about in part by the increased dissemination of art to the general public may have a marginal impact on the outcomes of a given democratic process (on both individual and social levels), but this impact will almost inevitably be countered by the powers that require violence in some form as a tool to achieve their ends. Sadly, on a societal level, these powers tend to be made up of persons or groups whose insider political power far outreaches that of the general public, both locally and/or nationally. Does this mean we should do nothing? No, most certainly not. As I said earlier, we are not artists by chance. It is not a choice. Artists will continue to promote the exploration of challenging questions, including those relevant to peaceful co-existence. However, I think it is perhaps naïve to think that our art can, at a societal level, effectively combat the powerful disinformation machines controlled by those who ultimately pull the strings in the societies in which we live. I studied to become a development economist at some of the best universities in the world and I left my doctoral studies to become an artist because I realized that, at least for me, my ambition to affect people’s lives in a positive sense was best served by making artwork that had the power to affect society one person at a time. Some may see this as a lack of ambition. I see it as a powerful privilege.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
Yes, for the past several months I have been working on a new interactive video installation project entitled the Choir of Discontent. The theme is the illusion of social media’s capacity to serve as an effective messaging platform to help alleviate personal grievances and complaints about our daily lives. We live in a world in which expressing individual grievances about the challenges we face has perhaps never been easier and yet, it is increasingly difficult to be heard and understood because of the level of “message noise” generated by the quantity of thoughts being simultaneously expressed as a result of such ease. In today’s world of social media, literally hundreds of millions of individuals are expressing their grievances and points of view simultaneously every minute of every day. Often time, personal grievances compete online for priority treatment and it is little wonder that we sometimes feel overwhelmed by the general level of “noise” the simultaneity of our messages generates. It could be argued that never in human history have more people expressed themselves freely and publicly without being truly heard. In fact, no one is really paying attention. The Choir of Discontent aims to recontextualize this situation in the form of a multi-cultural, multilingual interactive video installation/exhibition and a single-channel video. The project involves the collaboration of artists in several countries charged with filming the grievances of citizens representing a large spectrum of socioeconomic profiles that will be presented in a multiscreen format capable of simulating the simultaneity of messaging on social media platforms. The project will involve the possibility of installation visitors to participate by airing their grievances in real time. I have already received over 20 videos from artists in four countries and am working on obtaining the results from two more countries.
I expect the project to be completed before mid-2025.
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
I’ve been inspired by various things, including literature, photography, and painting, but my greatest interest has always been in my own imagination and fantasies. Therefore, there isn’t a specific work or person that has had a significant influence on me. If I had to say something, it might be the very essence of Japan’s nature, where life and non-life constantly vie with each other and the daily lives and landscapes that I saw during my travels in my 20s. Among films ,my favorite works are Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates and Matti Pellonpää inAki Kaurismäki’s films. People and things that move me are simply existing there, expressing and conveying their very reality.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
One of the qualities of a true artist is expressing oneself freely, without being concerned with profit or loss. I believe that there is goodness in human nature, and that everyone has the right to happiness. Therefore, the world I express through my art naturally includes, either indirectly or directly, protest against authoritarian power that imposes suffering and controls rights. In that sense, I see my role as an artist as one who seeks goodness and justice, and continues to be revolutionary.
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
By stirring emotions and stimulating the senses and sensitivity, people can experience a sense of happiness. I believe that the mission of the media and social networks is to deliver the works of artists and creators to the many people who are seeking them.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
My current project explores timeless themes such as parental love, loss, fate, anger, and forgiveness through the story of a young postman on a red bicycle. It is set in post-World War II Japan during the 1950s to 1970s weaving them into an imagination that transcends time.
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
I’m not really sure where the inspiration came from. After graduating from college, I was offered a job where I interned. Upon thinking about the offer and continuing on with my education, I knew at that moment it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I never really cared about a steady job with good pay and benefits. I chose to follow the only path I’ve ever known. Fun. Making movies looked like a fun life to live and it was something I could do the rest of my life. I didn’t have to look forward to retirement to enjoy my life. So, I guess that’s what has inspired me the most. Having fun. As for who… I’m a huge Nolan fan!
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
Is that not what brings out the best art? The type of art that everyone can relate to and know what they were thinking or feeling when they see/hear it? I think that if they are not trying to revolutionize the world through their creative outlet then it doesn’t have as much of an impact. That is why many films, songs, paintings etc. although may appear great, may not be as successful as hoped because it was empty. There was no personal touch to impact its audience. Ultimately, you make it for yourself but if you do not express yourself be it a revolution or any other part then it will always fall short. The audience is not dumb. So yes, there is still room today and a must to express one’s revolution through art.
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
There has been a lifelong battle of creating peace through art. John Lennon Imagine, Schindler’s List, or the famous photo of Tank Man to name a few. There is an endless amount of art that is trying to help create world peace. The sad truth is the ones who create war are the ones who are selfish and uncultured. I don’t believe that any amount of art could change their perspective or point of view because they are insensitive to it. It wouldn’t have any impact because there is nothing inside them to impact.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
My current project is near completion. We are currently in post and rapidly coming to an end. Will be done in the next few months and will be ready for the festival run of 2025. Keep an eye out for it. It’s called Wacko. The story is about two families from a small suburban town. When one family crumbles and loses everything due to jealousy and envy, there is one who decides to take justice into their own hands. If you enjoy a psychological thriller with the revenge story of an eye for an eye then this may be for you.
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
The creative use of black and white and color film to save money while making “A Man and a Woman” by French Director Claude Lelouch inspired me to become a filmmaker. As a theatre artist, I was inspired by Set Designer Robert Lewis Jones for his pure brilliance in every word he wrote in his book “The Dramatic Imagination.” Also, I was inspired by Actor Bill Pullman’s acting talents in the film “While You Were Sleeping” and the listening and conversation time he gave to me and others at an event of The Sinner. I was inspired by Director of Photography Christopher Nibley and his photography style, and for teaching me almost everything I know about filmmaking. Today, I am fascinated with Tim Burton’s creativity and want to be just like him.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
Yes. That is true. The revolution against power can be the revolution against true creativity. Tim Burton wanted Michael Keaton to be his new Batman. His Batman revolutionized the world of comic books and Marvel history. Studio heads fought Burton on his choice for Batman. The issue is whether today’s directors and filmmakers can be true to the creator inside themselves. They would fight for the power inside themselves to create the work they want their films to live inside.
-We live in a world where war still exists. Do you believe that if art were more widely distributed through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
Yes, if art were more widely distributed through media and social networks the world would be a more peaceful place. Today’s world contains much to be dealt with by everyone from world leaders to every civilian of every nation. We are exposed to ongoing foreign and civil war, multilayered political strife internally, constitutional standstill, economic hardships, religious conflicts, and the innovative nature of revolutionary language. Revolutionary artists have always created innovative language and themes that change the world.
These themes are shown in an artistic way for many the first time in film, and through the dissemination of art from books to cinema in the media and social networks, the world changes. Art is identified and shared through directed content analysis of themes and patterns to describe three different aspects of the dissemination of information. Artistic information is shared through groups consisting of the confirmation of known knowledge, understanding additional unknown information and new artistic information. Artistic ideas shared move mountains. These uncovered resources are passed along to generations who can share cultural differences, heal, change, and grow the world. Art gives us hope, and through art, we save us from ourselves.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
I am working on a short film, “Krishna and Ali,” about two men who support each other through missing parts or disabling handicaps in their physicality. They come from different worlds but are best friends. They bring hope to others like themselves by sharing their talent in art, poetry, and music. Art changed them. Krishna and Ali give away hope, sharing what they have created inside themselves despite handicaps, poverty, personal injury, prejudice, and death. This film seems very necessary in today’s world.
My next project is the feature film Cherzoso. Cherzoso is the long version of “Cherzoso The Silent Film” (the film I won my award for) with much more story explained! The themes of Cherzoso (family, clown-circus-performance, suicide, legal-law-police, sex work, and child trafficking) are dear to me. Thank you so much for recognizing my short film! Accordingly, this award has given me something more; a solid new reason to carry on, just do it, and never give up!
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
Cinema, with its broad scope within all the arts and Music, has kept my Imagination in its grip and provided me with a medium that painting, sculpture and drawing inhabit as well. I grew up around Expressionist painting and sculpture; one of my family members owned a gallery. Abstraction is central to my vision. Filmmakers such as Fassbinder, Pasolini, Agnes Varda, Lars von Trier, Kubrick, Godard, Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Iniarritu. Mira Nair, and Sofia Coppola are some of the greatest influencers on my cinematic vision.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
It seems to me that there is a huge amount of room today for one to express one’s relationship to revolution in Art. To provide a counter to the status quo is to be an artist. To lend a vision that could be fantastical yet still relatable, to bring images forward that stimulate inner creativity, that question commonplace and time-worn systems of power, regardless of the relationship to ordinary and usual scripts is still possible, maybe even more possible today. We see and know that our dreams by day and night become realized through film and music, with reference to the cosmos, the sea, and the land. As long as we are breathing, we have the power to pit ourselves against systems of power that we have been born into.
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
Fortunately there are ways to have one’s attitude and possible solutions to war, genocide, murder, and all forms of violence presented to the community, regardless of border and personal commitment. If I make a short film that for one person is fantasy, that same film for another person is inspiration. To reach the widest audience one must touch on what is closest to the heart. Violence of any kind is not heartfelt; we have a vocabulary that should be more available via the media and social platforms to foster the hope that is necessary to encourage a kind of mass empathy, at least through our art. If our art does move those who support violence to question their inner convictions, more art like this could survive in the media and reach all.
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
The next project takes its concept from Pirandello’s exploration of the concept of the mask by removing the golden mask of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and at the same time telling the story of the deceased whose mummy is buried with the objects belonging to his life as told by the hieroglyphics on his tomb. He is not a pharaoh, and therefore his life is told
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
There are different artistic influences over time, depending on where I was in my creation. Now with this latest feature “Daddy Blueberry – just like a movie” has undergone several artistic challenges and development over 9 years in a mix of fiction, documentary and animation. And has been developed through 3 award-winning short films. The sources of inspiration have been everything from David Lynch, Luis Buñuel, Fellini, Sergio Leone/Spaghetti Westerns, the Skagen Painters, colorist and music videos…
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
It has become stronger over the years for me, to make a difference. That my work should mean something, really touch and create a Story in all my expressions. it must be worth it and above all today as a counterpoint to all the superficial quick Clicks & Likes…
-We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
We live in a strange time, war is completely out of fashion, I think. Culture and art in all its forms are always the most peaceful solution, or best for everyone by processing and shaping our contemporary times. In all our inner and outer lives…
-Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
I always have several projects going on in parallel, so that I don’t fall into the big black hole, after finishing one project… Partly, I have a documentary project “The stray dog cultural worker” where everything is filmed, after 10 years, so now the editing remains. And a VR-movie with dance, TV shorts etc
-What and who has inspired you the most in your artistic career?
Frida Kahlo has been the most influential artist in my journey. Her bold expression of personal pain, resilience, and cultural identity deeply resonates with me, inspiring my own work and approach to art.
-Every true artist is also a revolutionary against power. Do you think there is still room today to express one’s revolution through art?
Absolutely. Art remains one of the most powerful forms of revolution. The courageous work of artists in Iran, who use their creativity to challenge and resist a dictatorship, is a compelling example of how art can be a force for change.
–We live in a world where, unfortunately, war still exists. Do you believe that if there were more dissemination of art through the media and social networks, the world would be a more peaceful place?
Hope always persists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, artists in Germany were reminded that art was not considered “system-relevant.” However, art is far more than just relevant; it has the potential to change systems. This is precisely why there’s a reluctance to let art become so powerful—it could even stop a war.
Are you working on a new project? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
I’m currently focused on promoting “Pink City Film,” which keeps me quite busy. However, that doesn’t stop me from brainstorming new ideas. I’m considering exploring animation for a future project, so stay tuned!
