My Story Workshops :: Every Child Has A Story

Interview with My Story Volunteer Producer and Educator Matt Kowal.
Conducted by My Story Director Christine Cearnal.

* Matt Kowal will be exhibiting his Open Books project at Pushdot Studio in November of 2009.

Matt Kowal – Open Books
11.06.09 < Show Opens
11.06.09 < Artist Reception, 6-9pm
11.30.09 < Show Closes

Pushdot Studio
1021 SE Caruthers St.
Portland, OR 97214

First off Matt, I am curious about how you found My Story?

I moved to Portland in September of 2008 and immediately began to immerse myself in the community. I came across the My Story website while looking for an arts organization for whom I could volunteer and network with artists, photographers, and educators.

What motivated you to volunteer to share your talents with a nonprofit organization and this one in particular?

I really enjoy being active and find that inspiration and rewards come form putting myself in interesting situations. I was looking for something that would enable me to get out of my comfort zone and work in an ever changing environment. Sometimes inspiration can found by educating and sparking creativity in others.

Could you talk for a minute about what first motivated you to pick up a camera? What has the journey been like for you since that day?

The first camera that I was interested in was a digital camera. I wanted to be able to add imagery to my digital creations. I was more interested in aesthetics and design than photography, but I recognized that the camera, screen, and printer were ideal for my digital input and output. I continue to explore alternate ways of photography from using scanners to video capture, emerging technology excites me and I try to take new innovation in stride.

How would you describe your photographic process?

For me, photography used to be a very private endeavor. I liken my approach as attempting to work as a painter in a private studio. I was not interested in documentary or commercial work so much as creating unique works that were a response to my environment and culture.

As I previously eluded to, my primary introduction to photography was through PC based digital imaging. However, I had no camera or digital camera so I began my creating my own digital graphics then appropriating and collaging when needed. This was prior to DMCA, the prevalence of mash-ups, or advent of artists like Danger Mouse, Girl Talk or Shepard Fairy. I was concerned about copyright and my ability to create unique work. Thus, my early efforts were very layered. This layering resulted in complex themes and narratives as I was literally using many image layers and graphical elements to composite my imagery.

Some of my recent projects have been much more straight forward. For my Open Books project, I worked in various libraries photographing their collections for a relatively set vantage point. The process was largely self regulated, but it ultimately allowed me to creatively focus on the limited number of things that I could control. It ended up being a very productive give and take.

I have also been working on a Tarp project. I find myself photographing the interesting uses and places for the ubiquitous blue tarp. What began as a project that dealt with issues of privacy, personification, and social involvement has evolved into a sort of socio-economic study. I am referencing the Troubled Asset Relief Program in my essay that will accompany the images. I spend a lot of time riding my bike or walking through a huge cross section of neighborhoods. It’s half ghostly narrative, half documentary.

I see that much of your work has a sculptural quality, could you speak about this? What draws you to a two dimensional medium of expression?

I started using graphics programs in the mid 90s and had been working with computers for a few years before that, so the 2-dimensional screen and the resulting printed material was my introduction to the creative media. I think that at some point many photographers must deal with the intrinsic need to build or manipulate scenes they photograph. Photography is as much about capturing a foreign scene as it is about creating a story.

What do you see as the balance in your work between the captured and the created?

Did you know the iPhone is now the most popular camera on Flickr? The captured is all around us, there is no denying we are a visual culture. My real interest lies in creating a narrative or making a personal statement. By providing a textual base, I can allow for the audience to flow between the two elements. The captured needs context. The created needs an open mind.

What does photography bring to your life? What do you find yourself doing  and thinking during the process of making your images?

Photography allows me to capture images that excite, interest, or simply perplex me. It is a way for me to ‘take’ something from my environment and recreate in within my own world. It’s also a way to document and remember things around me.

Who has influenced your work?

I wouldn’t know where to start listing my influences. I would venture to say that I have been more influenced by the massive amount of available visual culture that has been ushered in during the past decade. I have viewed a tremendous amount of print, screen, and motion media. That said, I find the work of Morris Louis, Jeremy Blake, Bernd and Hilla Becher Abelardo Morell, Katja Mater, and Gus Powell to be quite provoking.

What ideas do you explore in your photography?

Some other issues I deal or have dealt with include isolation, civic involvement, imagination, and multilateral communication. I also continue to explore the merging of technology and the contemporary situation/environment.

Why do you feel it is important to put cameras in the hands of young people?

It’s always surprising to see the world through the eyes to the youth. It’s a great lesson for me as well, because I must allow myself to cede control (and creative control) to the kids. These kids see the world differently than you or I. They are evolving and developing their own techniques for communicating. By empowering them with critical thinking, narrative, and compositional skills, I believe we are helping to foster a more open, creative, and worldly generation

What has been the most surprising thing about working with kids around their artistic endeavors?

I am constantly surprised by their insightful comments and the scope to which they develop their ideas. Each of the students has an incredible vision for art and photography. The kids already have the imagination and ideas, I just help to facilitate and provide a solid base from which they can meet some of their more basic needs. It’s up to us to simply provide the nurturing environment and confidence that allows the kids to fully express themselves.

Can you share a bit on the topic of your aspirations for the future?

I have graduate school aspirations and hope to continue to be a mentor, student, and peer. I continue to spend a majority of my time producing my personal artistic & photographic endeavors. I also plan to put myself in a position to teach college or high school level photography and art classes.

* Matt Kowal was born in Oberlin, Ohio and has a Bachelors of Fine Art in Photography from Ohio State University. He refrains from eating meat, love physical activity, and is passionate about multimedia + emerging technology. You can view find more information regarding his latest endeavors at www.mattkowal.net.