HERMES BAGATELLE

BABAK GHAZI - INTERVIEW WITH STADIUMAGAZINE[C]

WHERE DOES YOUR WORK START?

FROM MY LIFE. IT'S SIMPLY A PROCESS OF LOOKING AT WHAT ENGAGES ME AND THEN LOOKING AT IT AGAIN MORE CLOSELY THROUGH THE MAKING OF WORK. I TEND TO USE CONSTRUCTED FOUND IMAGES SO IT MAY SEEM THAT THERE ISN'T ROOM FOR ME IN THE WORK BUT I BECOME PRESENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHICH BECOMES WHAT IS ON VIEW IN THE WORK, BECOMES THE OBJECT OF THE WORK. FOR EXAMPLE A SERIES I HAVE JUST FINISHED CALLED 'UNTITLED' CONSISTS OF SIXTEEN CINDY SHERMAN'S UNTITLED FILM STILLS THAT I HAVE CUT OUT FROM A MONOGRAPH ON HER AND PLACED ONTO MY A3 SCANNER. I ARRANGED AND RE-ARRANGED THEM SIXTEEN TIMES, EACH TIME DOCUMENTING THE RESULTS WITH A SCAN. THERE WAS A LOGIC TO ARRANGEMENTS EACH TIME, WHICH WAS MY ATTEMPT TO LOCATE A PATTERN AMONGST THE IMAGES.
FOR INSTANCE, GROUPING THE IMAGES WHICH ARE IN SILHOUETTE OR THE ONES WHERE SHE IS BLONDE. BUT EACH ATTEMPT AT LOGIC (OR MEANING) DOESN'T QUITE WORK BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REVEAL ANYTHING. IN THE END THE WORK IS A DOCUMENTATION THE ACTIVITY (MY SHUFFLING AROUND OF THE IMAGES). THIS END LESS SHUFFLING IS IMPORTANT IN MY WORK BECAUSE IT PRODUCES A SENSE OF INFINITY, SO IN A SENSE IT SUSPENDS TIME BECAUSE THERE IS ANOTHER VERSION TO COME, SIMILAR TO THE INFINITE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL POSES THAT SHERMAN HAS TAKEN FROM. EACH SCAN (OR DOCUMENT) OF A SHUFFLE IS ALSO A CONSCIOUSLY PERFORMED POSE BY ME. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT TO THE WORK IS THAT I FIND THESE SIMULATED IMAGES/WOMEN SEDUCTIVE, EVEN SEXY. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. THIS WORK IS PARTLY PRESENTED AS A LOVE OBJECT, AFTER DECADES OF THESE SHERMAN IMAGES BEING HELD UP AS SOMETHING THAT DECONSTRUCTS THE MALE GAZE. SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IT IS FROM MY LIFE, IN THAT THESE IMAGES ENGAGE ME, THEY SEDUCE ME AND THE ACTIVITY I DOCUMENT IS MY LIFE BECAUSE LIFE IS ACTIVITY. MY WORK IS REALLY JUST A DOCUMENTATION OF LIFE.

WHAT MOST INSPIRES YOU?

MY WORK IS REALLY ABOUT THIS QUESTION. IT'S ABOUT FINDING AND USING MODELS. THE INDIVIDUALS I USE IN MY WORK ARE 'LIFE MODELS' AND THEY EACH EMBODY A CERTAIN ATTITUDE TO LIFE, WHICH I MAY NOT AGREE WITH BUT I CAN FEEL THEIR CONVICTION AND THIS IS POWERFUL. I'VE RECENTLY STARTED TO MAKE SCREEN TEST, AS IN WARHOL. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THEM AND WANTED TO DO THEM BUT FELT HELD BACK BECAUSE THEY ARE SO 'DONE'. BUT THEN I GAVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO MAKE THEM NOW IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO ME. TO REPEAT THIS PROCESS SO I CAN MAKE MY WORK. TO REPEAT HIS LIFE SO I CAN LOOK AT MY LIFE.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK?

THAT IT IS RESTLESS. THAT IT GIVES ME PERMISSION TO LOOK AT THINGS THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAVE ENGAGED WITH . IT KEEPS MOVING AND BRINGS ME CLOSER TO WHATEVER IT IS THAT I'M ULTIMATELY INTERESTED IN IN LIFE.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BEST AND WORST BITS OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

LAST YEAR THE 'ICA' IN LONDON I EXHIBITED MY WORK CALLED MODEL AND THAT WAS EASILY THE MOST AMBITIOUS WORK I'D MADE UP TO THAT POINT. I REMEMBER BEING VERY EXCITED TO SEE IT UP ON THE WALLS. THE WORST PART OF MY 'CAREER' IS DEFINITELY HAVING TO HAVE A 'CAREER' AND EXIST IN THE INDUSTRY THAT IS AS SELF SERVING AS ANY OTHER. I THINK THAT WHEN YOU GET INTO ART YOU HAVE SUCH AN EXCITEMENT ABOUT WHAT IT COULD BE AND THEN THE REALITY OF LIFE AS AN ARTIST IS A SEROUS DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT I'M PLANNING MY ESCAPE.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

ESCAPE TO PLAN. TO START TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE 'ART WORLD' AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE IDEA OF MAKING ART ' I'M WORKING ON A WEBSITE CALLED A "LIFE OF ONES OWN". WHICH IS COMPELLING ME. PLUS DIFFERENT IDEAS AND PROJECTS. EVERYDAY FEELS MORE AND MORE OPEN TO POSSIBILITY.

HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE THE VARIETY OF INFLUENCES IN YOUR WORK?

I TRY TO DEAL WITH THEM ONE AT A TIME. WHETHER IT'S AN ARTIST OR A FEELING. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONCE IVE DEALT WITH IT I MOVE ON. I RETURN TO THINGS, ADJUST THEM. IT'S LIKE LIFE, YOU RE-THINK, RE-LOOK AND RE-MAKE.

WHER ARE YOU FROM BORN/LIVING?

I WAS BORN IN LONDON, WHERE I CONTINUE TO LIVE BUT I'AM ALSO IRANIAN.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING RIGHT NOW?

THERE IS NOTHING ON MY MIND RIGHT NOW APART FROM THE TRULY INSPIRATIONAL PROTESTERS IN IRAN.

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