The Sea of a Thousand Dreams<\/a>. Why this topic \u2013 underwater photography? What captured you there?<\/strong><\/p>\nAndres Adamson: I once saw something along these lines. And I thought \u2013 interesting, could give it a try. Actually, I believe no one has really done it before, I mean underwater studio shots. Yes, there are scuba diver photos, but that\u2019s different. That\u2019s reporting, not my thing. I\u2019m interested in controlling the light, playing with the positioning of my models and changing the environment\u2026<\/p>\n
RC: Not the easiest thing to do in terms of technique.<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: No indeed (laughs). There were difficulties to start with. I had no special equipment. A friend helped me throw together a solution with a plastic bag, so I could immerse the camera underwater. I went to a regular stationery shop and bought a re-sealable plastic bag I could tightly close. As to the object lens \u2013 my friend really has \u201chands of gold\u201d \u2013 he adapted a tube-shaped detail from an old computer for extra water resistance. Armed with this makeshift gear, I could attempt a brief submersion. Naturally, I was anxious the water might seep through, anxious about my camera. And it did seep through (laughs). A bit later, I found more solid bags, really waterproof. For the flashbulbs, too. Because I needed an assistant who would hold the flashbulbs on an improvised \u201cfishing rod\u201d (a special support). I found some costumes, a few from the theatre, a few here and there, from the wardrobes of my acquaintances. The red dress, for instance, is from the theatre. A few girls wore their own things.<\/p>\n
RC: And who were the models?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: The daughters of my friends and acquaintances. Initially, I looked for girls with long hair \u2013 it looks amazing under water, taking different shapes. And some light, airy dresses. Turned out a leotard also looks great.<\/p>\n
RC: And what about nudes?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: As a matter of fact, I did try them. Not my thing. Doesn\u2019t work for me.<\/p>\n
RC: Why?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: I don\u2019t know (laughs). I guess it\u2019s all too out in the open and obvious. Very hard to get an aesthetic picture. Or maybe it\u2019s due to the models, I don\u2019t know. In any case, I\u2019m drawn by the limits of the human body and its ability to take different shapes. But I do think there\u2019s a limit there. Yes, there are dancers or just naturally flexible people, who feel at ease in their own body. They look fantastic because they know they\u2019re beautiful and aren\u2019t shy to show it. And they\u2019re up for experiments. The slightest hint of stiffness, and we\u2019re done. It\u2019s not working.<\/p>\n
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RC: What challenges do you experience in your projects?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Deadlines. And communication on a scale like I had in the 100 Homes in P\u00e4rnu project. In a more or less constant location hunt, constant negotiations, I burned myself out and lost interest. It\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n
RC: You work with people and natural objects. What draws you to flowers?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Now, this topic caught my attention during the first \u201cCovid spring\u201d. There are masses of flower photography series all over the world. I\u2019m by no means the first. But I came across this one picture with a photograph for background. So cool! I didn\u2019t want to copy it. No, I thought I could make something of my own, something beautiful. Not in a studio. That had already been done. So I went out into a field, put a blackboard behind a layer of flowers and set about catching the natural light. I adore orchids, our Nordic ones. And the rest of our plant life, the simple flowers and even weeds \u2013 they\u2019re fascinating! I called this series Hortus Dei (God\u2019s Garden). Meaning that we\u2019re all plants in God\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n
RC: You also do abstraction and minimalism\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: There\u2019s this idea that an artist should choose a topic and stick to it. But I\u2019ve never wanted it. It just felt bland. In fact, the upside of my versatility is that I\u2019ll always find something to do. You can always find an exhibition or a space for your different kinds of work. And they say eclecticism is endlessly fascinating. So I decided it would be my style (laughs).<\/p>\n
RC: What do you think about borrowing an existing idea as a foundation for something of your own?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: It\u2019s perfectly normal. After all, I\u2019m not just mindlessly clicking the button. I have to come up with a fresh perspective, my own take, and draw out the life of the original idea.<\/p>\n
RC: You\u2019re a travelling photographer. Which place on earth is your greatest inspiration?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Tuscany. I had an exhibition about it. I\u2019ve worked there, let me see, about four times. But then I began spewing clich\u00e9s. I\u2019d started with them, and now I\u2019d come back.<\/p>\n
RC: Artists tend to be wary of clich\u00e9s \u2013 they fear them and try to avoid.<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: And what\u2019s so bad about it? In fact, I quite often start with a clich\u00e9 and then move to something new, exciting and original, something of my own.<\/p>\n
RC: Do you give yourself a break?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Of course I do. Even now, I\u2019ve come down from Estonia with no camera. I\u2019ve only got my phone, so I\u2019ll just shoot some videos (laughs).<\/p>\n
RC: Do you keep track of global trends in technology development, or do you prefer tried and tested devices?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: I\u2019m not chasing innovation. I shot with a Canon for a long time. It just so happened. But then it got broken, and I had to get a new device. Turned out it had much more interesting options, such as the macro setting. That was it. I went with that one and, as of now, have no intention of changing it.<\/p>\n
RC: Do you have idols, someone you look up to?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Lots. But, yes, I can name a few. I like Wes Anderson. He\u2019s a film director. But, at its core, film is photography. And his colour compositions are incredible! The overall compositions in his frames. I find them fascinating. Then there\u2019s the Lithuanian photographer, Virginijus Kin\u010dinaitis. He shoots on his mobile. I\u2019ve seen his exhibition. Naturally, if you look very closely, you see there\u2019s a difference. But from a distance, the composition is very eloquent. Stunning. I, too, started with a phone to avoid hauling around heavy equipment. You just need a good eye. Andrius Rep\u0161ys and his extreme minimalism. What rhythm, what edges! A millimetre off, and that\u2019s it! Everything\u2019s changed! I gave it a try, but it\u2019s incredibly hard (smiles). Gregory Crewdson \u2013 everything so carefully considered, down to the last detail. Julie Blackmon, the American. She photographs her relatives, her family. Sometimes staged shots, but obviously not always.<\/p>\n
RC: What\u2019s your quality stamp in photography?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: That would be composition. The right focus in the right spot.<\/p>\n
RC: Care to try and defend an opinion that photography is art?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: I\u2019ve thought about it just recently. I guess art is when I can do things the way I want. And not the way you want me to. And I think, at its core, art is about professionalism. An artist should command their material. You can see right away when something\u2019s been done by an amateur. And that can\u2019t be art. Technically, it\u2019s a meeting point for an idea and creative freedom. It\u2019s where they merge. I\u2019ve seen lots of pompous, \u201coverdone\u201d works with masses of Photoshop. This might work with those who\u2019ve never encountered it. But I draw the line. Your \u201cintervention\u201d shouldn\u2019t be visible. If you use Photoshop, it should be justified and enhance the artistic value of your piece. But if a shot is reeking false pretence due to excessive Photoshop\u2026 that\u2019s just terrible.<\/p>\n
RC: Do you have a maxim or a motto, your personal philosophy, that\u2019s your solid ground to stand on?<\/strong><\/p>\nAA: Cross that bridge when we come to it. You\u2019ve got to start somewhere, and all the problems and challenges can be dealt with along the way. I keep going towards my goal. If you can\u2019t conquer your fear, you\u2019ll never succeed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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The Rothko Centre: Right now, we\u2019re receiving your exhibition, The Sea of a Thousand Dreams. Why this topic \u2013 underwater photography? What captured you there? Andres Adamson: I once saw something along these lines. And I thought \u2013 interesting, could give it a try. Actually, I believe no one has really done it before, I … <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":33309,"parent":32825,"menu_order":91,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/maksliniekiem-mainpage.php","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-33316","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHallway talks with Andres Adamson (Estonia) - page 33316<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"page 33316\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rothkomuseum.com\/en\/museum\/lets-talk-art\/hallway-talks-with-andres-adamson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hallway talks with Andres Adamson (Estonia)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Rothko Centre: Right now, we\u2019re receiving your exhibition, The Sea of a Thousand Dreams. 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