And so the story continues of the knife-salesman-turned-photographer-artist-entrepreneur, Liam Alexander. In the second part of this double feature, Liam discusses how his past work has brought him where he is today. Missed last week’s introduction? Get to know Liam here and then, read on!
Liam Alexander: Daniella had a amazingly crazy vision for what she wanted to do for her S/S 2012 presentation with videos and projections and flying unicorns and stuff and she needed help. Basically, she needed someone to help with producing a radical spectacle but who could also shoot fashion pictures. She thought of me, and I guess it was right up my alley.
2+7: How did the project evolve? How did you know this would be the right “fit”?
LA: Honestly I didn’t even read the entire email I just replied “I can do that.” I took one look and wanted in because I saw Daniella was doing something really innovative, and exciting, and next level, so I really want to be involved with people doing that. People that work, and making exceptional work, and are interested in pushing the envelope, then I met with Daniella and we got along smashingly so I took over producing the project.
2+7: How do you execute someone’s vision and not lose your own sense of style?
LA: Really, It was a collaborative effort between me, Daniella, and Matt, (the vid director) I just managed the execution of it, I guess it really does have my aesthetic though, only because I was so involved with Daniella the whole time. That’s how it has to be, you see when you are producing that kind of thing or doing anything really, the most important thing is to honor the designers vision. Form must always follow function, it was in fact the Daniella Kallmeyer fashion show first, and a Liam Alexander production second.
That’s the exciting thing, to work to make the DK fashion show the best it could be. I’ve been doing a ton of production lately and really that’s what’s exciting to me, its like someone entrusting me with their baby, it’s a lot of responsibility and the challenge of making that baby better than anyone else is the exciting thing for me, like giving the kid opportunities it wouldn’t have had. That’s what I think about production, it’s like adopting a child. LOL. My aesthetic.. It’s my aesthetic because I built it in my backyard with my old man neighbor who is 70 and only has 9 fingers.
2+7: Your most recent work was the Children’s Museum of the Arts installation. Can you give me a brief overview of the project and how it captures your “digital vs. real world” and how you are looking to do more projects with the play on digital vs. reality element?
LA: I make fashion photography but also I feel like I have more stories to tell than that, and many of these stories can’t be told with photography. I feel like it’s important to utilize the correct medium to tell a story. I just can’t do it with fashion photography.
LA: @artball was the most recent installation that I did, for the Children’s Museum of the Arts. They had a jurried competition from artists all over America to make an installation for their art auction and I won.
LA: I’ve been obsessed with the concept of “our digital lives” and how we exist digitally. I’m creating works that are based on the simple concept of cause and effect, and accountability which is slowly disappearing from our daily lives. I’m utilizing new technologies and interactivity with the viewer so they have an experience of the art rather than seeing a picture of. It’s an idea they live through.
The @artball was all about how people don’t see the effect of what they do online. It’s because so often there is no direct visible and measurable result from what you do or say online.
For example – If you say “fuck you” to someone in real life, they may punch you in the face, a direct measurable result. If you say “fuck you” on text or even worse e-mail or Facebook or twitter, no one cares, no result. So the learned behavior humans develop is “I can do whatever I want and nothing happens”.
My goal was to create a machine that moved in real life, directly reactionary to twitter. If you said something on twitter, the ball moved, and if you didn’t it didn’t, so what I made for CMA was a New Years ball the required the people at the event to “tweet it” in order for it to move, to ring in the new year. It was a way for people to “step up to the plate” because people say they want to support the CMA but are they willing to take action publicly to support the cause? It gave people a direct reaction to something they did on twitter, that they could see, and the ball wouldn’t reach the finale, unless people tweeted it.
It was cool, people really liked it, I don’t know if it got my point across, because it was almost too good, it went over people’s heads, they sent a tweet and the ball moved, and they were like “whatever” hahaha, I mean we invented three technologies to make that happen. It was really well received, the museum was very happy and most of all I was really happy with how it came out, it was like 80% there in my mind, which is good, I’m getting closer, every time I do a project I get closer to it being 100%.
“That’s the goal to create a clear channel from my brain to the “canvas” whatever that canvas may be.” -Liam
2+7: What are your next steps?
LA: Actually right now me, Steven Delaporte and Ashwin Kirpalani are developing a technology for a commercial output. We are looking for fashion labels or companies that will sponsor the creation of the technolgy. I’m meeting with people next week about making another “artballesqe piece” we’ll see what happens.
Current projects:
2+7: You spoke about having more “Interactive Installations” where do you see this going?
LA: Not sure where I see it going. I’m into technology, how its changing our lives, negatively and positively. I hope I have the opportunity to do more with it, I’m sure I will. I have a series of ideas that are really interactive art that focuses on people and their relationship to reality in modern society. I hope to be able to show it, but its getting to the point where I need some real gallery support because the stuff I’m doing is becoming too cost prohibitive for me to produce myself, and my daddy ain’t rich and my mom doesn’t work at MOMA so…
Future Work:
2+7: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
LA: I don’t know, I hope in the same place I am now but times 10!!! I love where I live and my life and the work I do, so I just hope to continue to make my work, and that the reach of my work expands. That’s all I can hope for really, I’m just thankful for all the people who have allowed me to work, hired me to create their vision. Its a great feeling.
