Back inside I met with Chase Koopersmith, a 20 years old studying art in Pasadena. Two of her pieces were featured in the show; one being a photo of a clown, framed in marquee-type lights. The other was a take on the famous photo called Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, where the American troops had been replaced with drag queens.
“What inspired you to take this photo?”
“I had two days left to finish my final project and I was at a Tom York show and it just came to me! Right there! It was supposed to be a clown, but not like a circus clown, more like a clown if clowns were a naturally occurring thing, something that you might see on the street.”
“Why make art? Are you trying to say anything?”
“I make art for people who enjoy it. To say anything? With the clown, not really. The drag queens however are supposed to be about the absurdity of the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy in the army.”
“And if you ever get really big?”
“I just want to make bigger and bigger sets and better costumes.”
“You want to be able to make whatever you can imagine…”
“Exactly. You know, I wouldn’t really consider myself a photographer. I get really into the set design and costume design; I like to put my work into those and the photo is really just proof. Look; I did this.”
“I can see you like costumes.”
Chase had a style bordering on steam punk, a delightfully custom job with a ruffled dress, vintage leather boots and a backpack with a racoon’s tail hanging from it.
Back inside I ran into Henny Garfunkel– bangs arched off of her forehead and back on top of her head, streaks of gray and white running through her hair. She was in the midst of talking to someone, then someone else; both of them aware I was trying to hop in at some point while she was completely absorbed in each individual conversation. I immediately liked her. She also had two pictures in the show; one of them being a set photograph of Johnny Depp from Crybaby.
“We were shooting for a potential magazine cover; I was going for an Outlaw look; you know, Portrait of Jane Russel from The Outlaw?”
“What inspired you to go for that look?”
“Well, Johnny Depp is playing a sort of Elvis-y character, you know, bad boy type.”
“What do you do normally?”
“I’ve been doing set photography for a long time, I get sent to film festivals to take pictures of directors and actors there.”
“What do you like to do with your photos?”
“Well I’m really into social commentary; when I’m walking down the streets I really like to get outsiders, people who look out of place. You know I just get a feel for them as they’re passing.”
“Do you have them pose or do it off-the-cuff?”
“Depends… on how I feel. You know I get the same feeling from them as I do shooting actors, like we’re just two people passing for an instant through each other’s lives. I really like watching people.”
“Inspired,” runs until Aug 13th, 2010.
This opening sounds very interesting. I love the artists passion.