Hi Andy. What experience first made you realise you were an artist?
I still expect more people to confirm that I am an artist. Having a thought that you may be an artist is a very small first step towards realising. I have sold some dozens of my prints, but so far it doesn’t feel enough, I’m thinking like 1000x of what is now maybe will do? Being an artist is a social thing and mostly depends on others rather than yourself. Though I take photos and sometimes print them and make photographic zines. Being a photographer doesn’t make you necessarily an artist straight away.
What does a typical day look like for you — in work and in life?
I check my inbox – maybe someone wants to get photographed (usually not). Then I check my other inboxes. Then I get upset and edit the photos that usually are there to be edited. Then I check my inboxes again. In a rare event of request in my inbox, I go and take photos. I love photography so much, I wish I encountered more with it.
Outside of photography life, on the contrary is rather cloudless, I have a much loved, loving and supportive partner next to me, and I have two kids 17 years apart – both very open to communicate and negotiate on their matters. I have friends, who live very different lives, still staying around and making me feel interesting and needed by society person.
What do you struggle with the most in your creative work, and how do you confront it?
I struggle with the amount of work. The idea of having to sell something comes as utterly sickening. I can’t be creative when I don’t know how to pay the bills. I do not confront it. I am not a warrior. I usually think that people just don’t like enough the things I do. On the other hand, I don’t feel people pleasing can lead somewhere interesting. So here I am.
Which ideas, people, or works have most influenced the way you think?
That idea that if you do something reasonable decently, it will be enough. The idea that work is the most important part of your life hence it should have predominantly internal motivation, like interest and curiosity, rather than external motivation like moneys and wishes of other people. The photographic works of Evgeni Mokhorev influenced me most, among other works are Kin dza dza movie, Monday Begins on Saturday book and books by Vadim Shefner. I love photos by Jo Schwab, T.H. Hauser, Arno Rafael Minkkinen, Alexey Titarenko, Bill Brandt, Gunars Binde, Nobuyoshi Araki, Sebasiao Salgado, Josef Koudelka, Richard Avedon, Boris Smelov, Alexander Lavrentiev, and I maybe forgot some others.
If you could change one thing about how people experience your work, what would it be?
I would appreciate a little more attention. But that’s not only about me, I’d say, I’d rather changed the way people look for what to read, watch, visit, etc. and rather than going for what majority of people read, watch, visit, etc., found something unique and niche for themselves to read, watch, visit, etc. – this will minimise the positive feedback loop existing now. I love negative feedback loops, pretty much everywhere they create less catastrophic landscape.
Where to find Andy: https://www.instagram.com/podvodoy https://www.instagram.com/andygo.photo and in the studio!
