Gossip [&] the Devil

The Flaming Lips, September 2009 (Photo by R. E. Barbash)

Photography is only recently coming into its own as an art form. But photography has cemented a place in the arts for some of the same reasons as painting: preservation. Two different sets of eyes using the same camera will capture different results. We are allowed a view from someone else’s perspective. Photographers freeze moments we’ll treasure forever; whether it’s that special magic during a show or your children running in the park, photography can grab a fistful of what the human eye must let go.

Rachael Barbash has been capturing the insanity at concerts for years, and many fans turn to her website to re-live the memories. While still a student at Columbia State Community College she’s logged countless experience and face time.

Rachael stubbornly pursues her dream despite making little to no money doing what she loves. The hundreds of photos she posts to her Flickr account are free for people to take and use. But, like musicians or painters she considers herself an important part of the humanities.

In the days when every 14-year-old in the world has a digital camera, what separates her from the masses who want photo passes and recognition on the scene? What separates those who do it for art vs. those who are hobbyists?  Rachael sheds some light on the subject below when I asked her a few questions about what makes photography an art form.

Years shooting: 7

Sign: Aries

Julie M. Tate: We’ll start easy. First band you ever shot?

R. E. Barbash: I was kind of late to come to the concert scene since I was a bit of a homebody in high school and lacked any serious form of transportation.  Once I left for college I started going to shows pretty regularly.  The first band I ever shot while performing was OKGo in 2001 with a little 35mm disposable camera.  Once I got a more professional camera, a 35mm Canon SLR, the first band I shot was Kill Hannah who was performing at an outdoor festival at Ohio State, where I was going to school at the time. I finally got my first digital SLR, a Canon Rebel, before the 2006 South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX. Thousands of band play there every year and is an amazing experience.

Kill Hannah, September 2009 (Photo By R. E. Barbash)

JMT: Who have been some of the easiest bands to shoot live? The hardest?

REB: By far the easiest band I’ve shot is Kill Hannah, partly because I’ve been to so many of their shows but also because their stage presence is probably the most engaging I’ve ever seen.  Recently I shot the Flaming Lips who were also amazing.

The hardest bands to photograph have definitely been on the recent Alternative Press tours (Mayday Parade, the Academy is…, Set Your Goals, You Me At Six and the Secret Handshake).  The guys never seem to take a pause and are just constantly running around the stage.  The kids at these shows are crazy though! Very fun.

JMT: What makes a band easy or difficult to photograph?

REB: It’s much easier to photograph a band if you know their music.  That way you can sort of guess what they’re going to do on stage and how a crowd might react to a song but you don’t always have that advantage.  I’ve shot some bands who just sound like noise (no matter how poppy they actually are) and I can’t guess their next move.  I’ll end up at the wrong side of the stage at the wrong time and miss amazing moments of their act.  Also, bands who look like they’re having fun and engage the audience area always the most enjoyable to shoot.

Innerpartysystem, January 2009 (Photo by R. E. Barbash)

JMT: You’ve been capturing concerts for years. I’m sure music had an impact on your life outside of the lens as well. Do you consider yourself an artist? If so, how has music in particular shaped the artist you are today, and who are some of your favorite artists personally? If not, what does photography do for you?

REB: More than an artist, I think of myself as capturing what’s already there and trying to show the beauty of the world.  What I photograph most regularly is live shows so music has been a huge part of my life.  I love catching what happens on stage and the interaction between the performer and their fans.  I love so many bands but my favorite musicians are the Smashing Pumpkins, IAMX, Radiohead, Muse, Thursday, Interpol, Rasputina, Emilie Autumn, The Dresden Dolls, local guys Flotation Walls and, of course, the bands Kill Hannah and Shiny Toy Guns who pretty much taught me to use my camera by shooting them so often.  As far as visual art goes I love the work of Kyle Cassidy, a documentary and portrait photographer, Pete Souza, the White House photographer, and digital artist Natalie Shau.  As the photographers go, their work really inspires me because they capture real life but show it at a different angle.  Show ordinary things in a new light.

JMT: Favorite photographers?

REB: It’ll sound corny but my favorite photo ever by another artist is probably this photo of the Obamas:

Most of my favorite photos have a very big photo journalistic aspect to them and Pete Souza is one of the best documentary photographers out there.  Other favorites are Kyle Cassidy, Kristen Burns, Philip Warner and Akif Hakan Celebi. As well, there are very talented photographers who are also in my photo program at CSCC.  I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.

JMT: What tends to catch your eye in a natural setting?

REB: While I have done some studio photography, most of my photos not taken at shows have come from random moments throughout the day, which is why I try to always have a camera with me.  Usually the way lights hit an object or just the ambiance of a scene.

Untitled (Photo by R. E. Barbash)

JMT: Is there a place in the arts for things like studio work or is that merely a means to an artistic end? (I.E. getting paid)

REB: I think if you think of yourself as an artist, then you’re an artist.  If you think of yourself as a corporate slave then that’s what you are.  Even photographers at Wal-Mart family portrait studios can have some artistic input to their shots.  Though most of my favorite photographers are actually more on the documentary side of things.  Beautiful things can be made out of ordinary every day scenes.  For example, just the other day, undeveloped negatives by street photographer Vivian Maier were just unveiled and I was captivated for hours looking at her photos of Chicago in the 1950s.  If this is your thing and you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get hired on by a magazine or newspaper.  But mostly photography is done for yourself.

JMT: To me, photography is akin to a poem in that it captures a point in time that you can never get back. Especially considering the way I write, a poem can be a little picture made of words and vice versa. There’s a beautiful marriage that happens when two art forms cross over. Considering books like the upcoming Flowers + Filth by photographer Lisa Johnson and lyricist wiL Francis, they can be put together to make a compelling and unique piece of art. Have you ever considered doing something of the sort

REB: That’s similar to Who Killed Amanda Palmer, the book. Photos and words can always work together.

The Shiny Toy Guns, April 2009 (Photo by R. E. Barbash)

JMT: Much like music testifies to a time or paintings reflect it’s surroundings, what is photography’s place in preserving our culture and why is it important?

REB: As far as preserving our culture, photography can not only capture events but it can show someone’s individual view of the world. Even though photography has been around for more than a hundred years it’s just beginning to be respected as an art form. Whether it’s a set up scene or documenting an event an exact scene happen again or be seen the same way by different eyes.  It’s important to freeze the moment so others can see what was there.

R. E. Barbash (Photo credit: Unknown)

(For more information visit R. E. Barbash Photography. Rachael currently attends CSCC.)

This first post will be a bit lengthy, but my agenda is simple: I want to use my art to create a sort of positive symbiotic relationship with other artists. If I can use my continuing dream to support and learn about other artist’s dreams then the creative circle lives on. I’m more than convinced this needs to happen if our society and culture plan to have any sort of longevity throughout this growing technological future. Something tangible you can wrap your hands around, something you can feel from the audience. Something you can read and see in your mind, something that leaves a lingering taste behind. Reactions. Revelations. Appreciation.

While I am a born author I also have a scholastic background in journalism, ranging from radio and broadcasting interview work to print and freelance work with bands, poets and teachers. As poetry can be a rather isolated and lonely little island I find myself missing the brilliant back-and-forth interaction between people who share a similar dream. Given that most of my creative inspirations exist within the magical world of sleazy guitars and heart-cracking lyrics, similarly many musicians cite life-changing books and works of poetry as Mecca’s for inspiration.

One of these people is Jessica Allyn, a 25-year-old singer/songwriter from New York whose voice could have come straight from the 1920’s. (Listen to her song “Professor Harold Hill” and you’ll see what I mean.) As of this interview she’s flipped the bird to her civilian job in order to focus on her craft full-time.

Jessica Allyn (taken from her Facebook page)

I first discovered Ms. Allyn via Twitter when our mutual love for Amanda Palmer/The Dresden Dolls crossed paths. I approached her with the idea for an interview in order to explore other artist’s inspirations, creative processes and methods of writing. As I’ve come to realize, just because you practice a particular craft doesn’t mean you have to operate exclusively within those lines.

Case in point, Allyn’s latest effort, a concept album titled I Am a Camera, was brought to life using a line from a Christopher Isherwood book called Goodbye to Berlin: “I am a camera, with it’s shutter open, quite passively, recording, not thinking.”

In this sense she has managed to capture the marrow of any artist’s body of work; their unique mental snapshots brought to life. From the downright rock and roll crunch of “Standing O” to the ukulele-decorations on “Kayla’s Song” (titled after a ukulele designer for the artist collective Post War Trade) I Am a Camera is the musical equivalent of flipping through a strangers scrapbook.

In the following paragraphs I’ll discuss with Ms. Allyn creative inspirations. Parts two and three, to be posted Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll discuss the creative process behind I Am a Camera, and technology and madness, respectively.

Part 1 | Inspiration:

Julie M. Tate: For inspiration, do you seek it, or does it usually find you? I’ve found that inspiration usually finds me, solicited or not.

Jessica Allyn: It definitely finds me. And, it’s usually when I’m not looking for it. It’s a gift and curse. I usually go through the motions. Months later I’ll write about it and think, “Well thank you (and sometimes fuck you) for the inspiration!”

JMT: Does what inspires you stay the same or mutate every few years/weeks/days?

JA: It mutates every few hours, to be honest. Life is ever changing and it’s hard to keep up at times. But I have always been overly sensitive and affected by things, so I’m constantly inspired.

JMT: I find it very difficult to “make time” to write, though I’ve been told countless times in as many creative writing classes that writing every day is essential. It’ easier said than done in my experience. Are you able to make time to write or must the muse “hit?”

JA: I used to be able to pump out one song after another. Now I am seeing a change. I rid myself of 15 years of baggage on this record. It was cathartic and beautiful but left me somewhat empty. I’m finding that I have less time to write these days. But I keep my eyes wide open for inspiration anyway.

JMT: Many great artists of our past would be considered obsolete now but not because they weren’t great. I’m convinced the majority of the population isn’t equipped anymore to recognize a truly great artist, be it musician, painter, poet etc. Do you think artists should study those that came before or try not to be influenced and do it on their own?

JA: I think an artist should allow themselves to be influenced by other artists. The history of Art, Music, and the like speaks for itself. Everyone is influenced by something, or someone, else. That goes for any profession. I went through an arrogant phase where I thought I was being innovative and ended up coming across several artists who did what I was doing, did it better, and long before I was even born! It was a slap in the face but a wake up call. I think the key is to learn how to balance both your own quirks and that of your influences. Then find a way to fuse them without being a carbon copy of someone else. Find yourself first.

JMT: I agree. I’m of the mind that it’s impossible to completely “do it on your own.” In most cases you’re sorely disappointed and embarrassed when you inevitably do stumble across that someone who’s done it better before. You could have learned something if you’d only studied a little research. That being said, are any current musicians/lyricists impressing you?

JA: I’m rather under-whelmed with most of the music out today. I find myself rediscovering old favorites these days. Still the reigning queen being Amanda Fucking Palmer. She’s got it down to a science, lyrically. She’s just absolutely brilliant and uses sarcasm and wit in the right places. Musically, her compositions are heart-breakingly beautiful. Other artists/bands that never fail to impress me lyrically: Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Muse, Placebo, Morrissey, Robyn Hitchcock, Neutral Milk Hotel, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, and PJ Harvey.

JMT: What about favorite authors and/or life-changing books? (Other than Goodbye to Berlin, which we’ll get to in a moment.)

JA: My favorite author would have to be Hubert Selby Jr. – He wrote Requiem for a Dream and Last Exit to Brooklyn. His books definitely changed my life. They were so descriptive, so poetic, so brilliant. He found a way to make the grotesque evils of the world almost beautiful. That being said, Requiem for a Dream is still my number one favorite book. I could read it over and over.

(Part 2 which includes discussion of I Am a Camera and it’s writing process will be posted tomorrow, so check back!)

What started my old perfume line, Lascivious XIII. They've been packed away for years and after much digging have been found.

From the mail bag:

Q: “How do you make your own Angel by Thierry Mugler?”

A: Its very, very difficult to make the scent match perfectly–its so fucking complex. Since everything I do is basically so D.I.Y. it hurts, I used to try and duplicate my own version of Angel oil before I could afford my own. Oil stays on your skin much, much longer than perfume. The alcohol in perfume evaporates quickly so your scent doesn’t last throughout the day. (FYI: As a little tip, buy perfumes labeled eau de parfum rather than eau de toilette as the former is made with a higher concentration of scented oil and will last much longer. “Angel” is an eau de parfum, as are most designer labels.)

For a bit of narcissism/background:

I used to make and bottle my own line of scented oils way back in college under the name Lascivious XIII, which focused on dessert themed scents. I’d sell them for $8 a piece from my Angelfire website (yes, ANGELFIRE) which was less than enough to break even. I “did it for the art” which means I had to give it up after about a year because I was broke between buying the scented oils, blending oils, label supplies, paints and paper for the special edition bottles, the bottling supplies and not to mention the time it took to blend a single scent.

(The lesson here kids is “doing it for the art” sounds awesome, but the reality is you’re probably going to regret it. If you want to keep making art, find ways to fund it. Don’t be afraid to charge your audience a reasonable amount for your product, in my opinion.)

Anyway, Angel is a musky, delicious and complex perfume–groundbreaking in terms of gourmand scents. Since it’s launch in 1992 women the world over have rejoiced at the notion that you don’t have to smell like a fucking bouquet of flowers. Personally I’ve been wearing it for over 6 years.

To replicate takes the following scented oils: (Bottom notes) – dark chocolate, caramel, patchouli, vanilla.  (Middle notes) – passion fruit, peach and/or apricot. (Top notes) – bergamot and mandarin. (I used to buy these from a seller on eBay named abippert and the prices were unbeatable.) I used to blend with grape seed oil since it was lighter and absorbed easier than avocado or almond oil. These can usually be found at Bath and Body Works. As far as the ratios go, its trial and error. Sucks I know, but I never wrote down a concrete formula. My organization then, like it is now, was less than stellar. Obviously you want to build from the base up and go easy on the top notes.

For me, making huge batches of oil from the floor of my walk in closet (no lie, my ex-boyfriend at the time used to call me a dwarf) I hurt more batches than I helped. Its difficult to finally find the right ratio and then blow up the measurements. It sounds like it should be simple, but some of the heavier notes, such as patchouli, can’t be raised from 2 to 4 because then they just start overpowering the entire batch. Once that happens you’re basically fucked as no amount of dilution will save something like that or not that I’ve found anyway.

If you manage to scare up something similar to Angel, siphon it into any of a variety of roll on bottles (I bought them for fairly cheap from a seller on eBay named seattlle_4) and you’re good to go.

found these in an old backpack. remnants of days long past.

For even more information that you didn’t ask for:

I used to make little oil limited edition packages in which I’d decorate the bottles by hand and pair it with a matching piece of jewelry. For example I had a small line based on the My Ruin side project called The LVRS, which was scented like dark chocolate covered cherries. I’d pair that with a black wire ring decorated with black beads, garnets and pink quartz. There was also a line I called Agent Orange which smelled like ginger, dark chocolate and tangerine. Those rings were black, gold and cats eye. Etc. Etc. The rings I made were inspired by My Ruin lead singer Tairrie B[M] and her rock candy rings. The necklaces were handmade rosaries and chokers using old war and religious medallions I’d find at thrift stores and catholic shops.

Q: The world is vast and wide. Why do we put on our robes at the sound of a bell?

A: Buddhism is too mild mannered for me. In short: because you get paid to do so.

Q: Ever consider G[&]D t-shirts? Stickers? Spoken word downloads? Podcasts?

A: Yes and yes. I’m considering making a shitload of stickers and sending them out for free with the stipulation they’re put in a public place. Maybe send in a picture and I’ll make a special section dedicated to pictures. (Does this sound good to anyone? Yes? No? Let me know.)

As far as t-shirts, funny enough the [m.o.d.] link on the right is for my modern.orphan.designs. page which I haven’t had a bit of time to launch, though many of the prototypes have been made. At the moment I’ve given many of them away as gifts to test their wearability and market. I’ve been making and deconstructing my own clothing since high school.

As for spoken word I haven’t the gadgets yet to record myself and stick it on the intranets. If there’s a demand for it then I’m all in. The more content the better. It’s all up to the audience.

(If you have a question you’d like to ask, or a comment you’d like to make feel free to email me at julie [at] devilgossip [dot] com! Conversely, I have a background in journalism and interviewing so if you’re an artist (musician, painter, photographer, boutique owner, poet ect. ect.) and would like me to consider you for an interview to appear on this site, shoot me an email (subject: INTERVIEW REQUEST) with your name/website/examples of your work/info. (I research all requests carefully, that way if I do decide to pick you up for an interview I know what I’m attaching my name to. Similar influences and/or a clear agenda help.) I’ve recently interviewed New York based singer/songwriter Jessica Allyn in an article to be posted soon.)