All photographs © 2000 John Gadsby.
interview by jason como
John Gadsby first blew my mind with his amazing close-up of a lizard that we used for a story on reptiles. Most of John's subjects are not that unusual. Most are ordinary people. But John seems to have a rare gift of triggering flashbacks and memories with his images. His pictures are both intimate and yet keep you at a distance. Hey, whatever. High quality eye candy.
ZON caught up with Gadsby's busy schedule shortly after he had declined a road trip with a troupe called the Genitorturers. Hmmm. Wonder what they're into?
Were you afraid of that whole trip? Piercing, I mean?
"Naw. The job was to be a stage tech. I didn't want to leave my family alone that long to fend for themselves..."
So who is John Gadsby anyway?
"Hmmmm, where do I start? My name is John Allen Gadsby.
I was born in Washington D.C. I moved to Sarasota, Florida in the 4th grade.
I'm the oldest of four children born to WASP middle class parents.
So you went to school for photography?
I was pretty much not into school as a kid, but not a geek or recluse or anything. I had good friends that are still good friends. I never got in too much trouble, just the typical kid stuff that we all go through. I went to a school for gifted children, played piano early, played trumpet and baritone horn in the school band and taught myself guitar as a teen.
Wow, man. That's a lot of different instruments. So how does all this music have its effect on your photography?
I'm still very into music. I ran sound for a band named FATCAT for about 5 or 6 years. I have
even played guitar here and there with bands, and worked as stage crew and tour management for a couple bands out "on the road." I like all kinds of music from bands like YES and the Grateful Dead to Tool and Nine Inch Nails, Genitorturers, Lords of Acid, also blues, like Neil Young a lot, like rockabilly yada yada yada. Pretty broad, huh?
I'll say. Like is there anything you dislike?
Cool. Sounds like you're on top of it. So you never went to school for photography?
Well, yes. I have a degree in graphic design, am a navy trained electronics technician. I build my own computers, have 4 networked together in my house, all running out thru a cable modem. Mmm, do Internet development mostly for work, am a trained telecommunications technician (install big phone systems and small computer networks).
Let's focus on the photographs...Wow, I don't know how you find the time to print all your own photographs! I know how time can evaporate in a darkroom. How do you do it?
I do mostly black and white photography and develop my own film. I make my own prints and -- no, none of my pics
on my site are digitally enhanced. All of it is darkroom effects or toning or hand coloring after printing. There are also some lens effects, some funky development processes and a variety of unorthodox processes of my own too.
Whoa! Sounds like you have an entorage! I love to see some pictures of Veronique... nice name. I really love the your photographs of women. It's not that they are especially beautiful or anything but you captured something about their personality -- they are moody and strong -- tell me about that.
I like to work with figure and the line of the female body most, I like doing unique portraits. I like pushing grain and photographing my photographs
and blowing them up again I like doing prints from multiple negatives (Uelsmann types).
I have a few ideas in the pot right now, am doing some model portfolio stuff... Just continuing to push the envelope.
Taking photographs, playing pool, hanging with real people, learning and going to school, playing with Sunshine and teaching her new things...
Sounds like you're a busy dude with a lot of energy. Keep clicking and share your view of the world with ZON again. And say "hi" to Veronique.
If you've got some rad photos |
I hate TV and hate bullshit people. But on the whole I am a contented person. I have a beautiful significant other and 2-* year old daughter named Sunshine who already knows how to use a computer better than most people I know.
What was the other part of your question...Influences and inspirations? hmmmm, my first and second photo teachers, Priscilla Ann Mabie Stewart, Drew Webster. The Grateful Dead, strippers,
Salvador Dali, Jerry Uelsmann, Man Ray, Van Gogh, Chronic Bud. Beautiful women, my models, my wife, Jen, and daughter Sunshine, my manic savant self, my vision, my friend and fellow artist, David Edleman, Roger Dean, Isaac Asimov, my mom Nancy and brother James and all the people who help me and believe in me and share ideas with me. Veronique François Salimbene (watch for her in the fashion world). Ray Gibbs taught me a lot of the tricks I
know.