Interview with the Hand
Hannah Davis is from England, and, if my math is right, she's 19.
She takes some great photographs and is putting together a zine called Imaginary right now. She seemed like she was a talented young lady with her head in the right place, so we sent her over some questions.
BOTY: who are you? where are you from? and what do you do?
HD: Right, well I'm currently a Fine Art student at Goldsmiths in London. I grew up in the countryside just south of London, so I've never moved very far from home. I take pictures.
tell us a bit about your work.
I work with sculpture, craft and the readymade that culminate in the taking of photographs. I use photography as escapism; always running back home to woods and forests - I get too trapped in London sometimes. My work is only just finding its roots, as I've been experimenting in so many ways for the past years, but it has got to the point where I've started taking photographs in what feels my own style.
a lot of your work has this spooky cult/ritual/vibe thing going on that i like quite a bit. whats going on with those photos?
I'm really interested in the 'other'; the line between reality and 'unreality'; the concept of magic; dreams and the world's indiosyncrasies. This is where the witch-y ritual/cult thing comes into play - I guess I just love delving into the fantasy of it all. What is interesting about photography is that you can make 'unreality' real and believable; so really, I like fooling myself that these magical happenings are real; as if the photographs are just documentation.
i read somewhere that you read tea leaves? how does that work? can you tell the future with that or something?
I have no idea where you got that from?! I can't remember saying that anywhere! However, it is vaguely true; I have got a tea reading kit and I have attempted reading the future. I couldn't say I was any good though, but it makes me feel like I'm in Harry Potter which is good enough!
tell us a bit about imaginary zine.
Well, I had noticed on flickr that there is a circle of people who obviously have a lot of talent, some of whom get blurred into the rest of flickr-ness because they don't have enough (or the right) 'contacts'. So I created the group to pool together photographs from these users, with the intention of showcasing the best ones in hard-copy zines. I really just want to inspire young photographers like I've been inspired, and do something to get us noticed. I'm in the same situation as everyone so it feels like I could really be doing something for (maybe) the next generation of photographers. When I was 15, I started up a website selling vintage clothes and my handmade jewellery; I gave it up last year because it interferred too much with my studies; so in a way it feels really right to be doing something again - filling the gap in my entrepreneur self!
anything upcoming? (for imaginary and for you)
For imaginary zine, I'm really just trying to get that first issue out - hopefully within a few weeks, and then I'll take it from there and start pooling photos for the second issue. For myself, well I know two separate bands who are using my photographs on their single releases, and there is the possibility of being in quite a big group show somewhere (crossed fingers!). Other than that, working as hard as I can on getting a consistant portfolio together.
day job? whats rad about living in england?
Yawwn! In my spare time I work as a waitress for large-scale events around London. I get to see a load of celebrities though, even if the hours and pay are awful! What's rad about living in England...cups of tea and biscuits; charity shops and car boot sales; everything in close proximity; pubs; querky britishness; sarcasm; and Prince William.
name drop? have any pals who are crushing it that we should check out?
Check out: flickr.com/photos/jessgough and flickr.com/photos/cherrystyles also, I love www.ilovehotwaffles.com
awesome! thanks hand! be sure to let us know when that zine drops, we'll giv'r a review if we can get our hands on a copy!
if you've got any kind of zine you want us to review, email us at blood@bloodoftheyoung.com and we'll tell you where to mail it! mail rules!
check out more of Hannah's work:
http://www.hellohand.co.uk
flickr
Imaginary Zine
BACK HOME
She takes some great photographs and is putting together a zine called Imaginary right now. She seemed like she was a talented young lady with her head in the right place, so we sent her over some questions.
BOTY: who are you? where are you from? and what do you do?
HD: Right, well I'm currently a Fine Art student at Goldsmiths in London. I grew up in the countryside just south of London, so I've never moved very far from home. I take pictures.
tell us a bit about your work.
I work with sculpture, craft and the readymade that culminate in the taking of photographs. I use photography as escapism; always running back home to woods and forests - I get too trapped in London sometimes. My work is only just finding its roots, as I've been experimenting in so many ways for the past years, but it has got to the point where I've started taking photographs in what feels my own style.
a lot of your work has this spooky cult/ritual/vibe thing going on that i like quite a bit. whats going on with those photos?
I'm really interested in the 'other'; the line between reality and 'unreality'; the concept of magic; dreams and the world's indiosyncrasies. This is where the witch-y ritual/cult thing comes into play - I guess I just love delving into the fantasy of it all. What is interesting about photography is that you can make 'unreality' real and believable; so really, I like fooling myself that these magical happenings are real; as if the photographs are just documentation.
i read somewhere that you read tea leaves? how does that work? can you tell the future with that or something?
I have no idea where you got that from?! I can't remember saying that anywhere! However, it is vaguely true; I have got a tea reading kit and I have attempted reading the future. I couldn't say I was any good though, but it makes me feel like I'm in Harry Potter which is good enough!
tell us a bit about imaginary zine.
Well, I had noticed on flickr that there is a circle of people who obviously have a lot of talent, some of whom get blurred into the rest of flickr-ness because they don't have enough (or the right) 'contacts'. So I created the group to pool together photographs from these users, with the intention of showcasing the best ones in hard-copy zines. I really just want to inspire young photographers like I've been inspired, and do something to get us noticed. I'm in the same situation as everyone so it feels like I could really be doing something for (maybe) the next generation of photographers. When I was 15, I started up a website selling vintage clothes and my handmade jewellery; I gave it up last year because it interferred too much with my studies; so in a way it feels really right to be doing something again - filling the gap in my entrepreneur self!
anything upcoming? (for imaginary and for you)
For imaginary zine, I'm really just trying to get that first issue out - hopefully within a few weeks, and then I'll take it from there and start pooling photos for the second issue. For myself, well I know two separate bands who are using my photographs on their single releases, and there is the possibility of being in quite a big group show somewhere (crossed fingers!). Other than that, working as hard as I can on getting a consistant portfolio together.
day job? whats rad about living in england?
Yawwn! In my spare time I work as a waitress for large-scale events around London. I get to see a load of celebrities though, even if the hours and pay are awful! What's rad about living in England...cups of tea and biscuits; charity shops and car boot sales; everything in close proximity; pubs; querky britishness; sarcasm; and Prince William.
name drop? have any pals who are crushing it that we should check out?
Check out: flickr.com/photos/jessgough and flickr.com/photos/cherrystyles also, I love www.ilovehotwaffles.com
awesome! thanks hand! be sure to let us know when that zine drops, we'll giv'r a review if we can get our hands on a copy!
if you've got any kind of zine you want us to review, email us at blood@bloodoftheyoung.com and we'll tell you where to mail it! mail rules!
check out more of Hannah's work:
http://www.hellohand.co.uk
flickr
Imaginary Zine
BACK HOME
posted by t reilly hodgson at
3:18 PM
2 Comments:
DIY alive in 09!
love the blog man. i'm stoked for the print zine!
beautiful interview.
123 5 ghosts
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