Inspired, of course, by David Bowie’s album of the same title, Antonio Paredes’s ‘Hunky Dory’ is a homage to the seventies, with a touch of Andy Warhol in the Pop Art portraits, and a unique look produced by the specific use of unsharpness.
For the S Magazine, you created a series in a Seventies-style. The styling, set-design and colouring all have a decidedly vintage feel. How did this concept come about?
I was inspired by the unique and powerful style of David Bowie, though I didn’t go down the classic Bowie route. Elena, the stylist, and I thought of a pop-inspired interpretation in the style of Andy Warhol portraits, and so we mixed them both together.
You deliberately apply blur to your pictures. How do you go about it, and what is the effect you’re aiming for?
I’ve been focusing on using blur as a stylistic element for a little while now.
I do all of it on set – I love playing with light and fabrics to achieve this effect, which makes the pictures more mysterious. I love creating a painting effect in my pictures. I would say the portrait with the blue background shows a good balance between light and unsharpness, resulting in the pop effect I was looking for.
What do you give priority to – the narrative or the graphic components of your series?
Both. The narrative is important, as I wanted to create my idea of the exuberant Seventies period by using props and colours. The graphic element gives power to each picture, and creates the Pop Art feeling I was searching for.
What is ‘Hunky Dory’ about?
‘Hunky Dory’ is an album by David Bowie that features a song about Andy Warhol – my two main influences for this project.
You’ve been taking pictures for some time now. Has your direction changed over time, and what is the most defining element of your signature style?
My direction hasn’t changed, but it continually evolves while I explore working with colour, fabric and light. Hunky Dory was also very much focused on props and background colours.
How important is it for you to work freely, in other words, without specific parameters?
It’s amazing and one of the reasons I love collaborating with S Magazine.
On the whole, do you prefer working with medium or full-format cameras? What made you decide to use the Leica S for this series, and to what degree are the camera’s technical characteristics evident in the resulting pictures?
The S system is one of my favourites. I have tried my hand at the M and the SL, but for me personally – considering that I work in the studio with the camera tethered to a computer – the S is what I prefer. When working in these conditions, the Leica S is fast, precise and effective. As an added benefit, the lenses are amazing and the files offer fantastic possibilities, even without using any filters; and the large CMOS sensor makes everything better and easier.
What do you want to achieve with your photography? Does it have a message?
I intend to continue evolving my work and my own style. The message in this project would be to capture the nostalgic, crazy freedom and excessiveness of the Seventies.
