Through their lens : interview i syles le

“One common stance against photography as art is that photography captures reality rather than creating a subjective reality, which is what ‘real art’ does.”

As a photographer, I have repeatedly felt as though, my work is seen as “less valuable”. To learn more on the topic and how it is affecting other local creatives, BrassTuna has decided to sit down and interview two local photographers while also inviting them into the Brasstuna studio and step in front of the camera.

(In Partnership with ECBE)

Hey Syles Le, it’s great to talk to you. Let’s start with a question focused on where you find your inspiration. Would you mind sharing with our readers, who is the most influential person in your life? If not a person, then what location influences your outlook or perspective?

“Both of my parents have definitely influenced me to be my truest self. They’ve always encouraged me to pursue what I want to, and that I will find success that way. They’re the only reason I felt comfortable putting my work out, and taking a leap into being a photographer and an artist. “

That is great to hear, and the photos you have provided to us above give us a bit of insight into your relation to family and their influence.

For our next question let’s pretend you get to sit down with your 6-year-old self. What advice would you give them?

“I would definitely advise myself to choose your friends carefully. Not all people you meet are meant to stay for life, but choose those who will make the most positive impact. Be around people who make you better, encourage you to pursue your goals, and support you every step of the way. It can be fun to goof around and forget about responsibilities at times, but don’t lose yourself trying to be friends with people who do not care about you. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to lose people on your journey if it means reaching your goals”

It’s always great to reflect on our younger selves, especially as artists. We live a life full of endless lessons, and in some cases, those same lessons influence our work.

For our next question, please tell our readers what art means to you. What is the importance of art in your life?

“Art, to me, means that something challenges you to think, or changes your perspective on a certain topic. Whether it be visual, physical, or auditory, the main goal of art in my opinion is the discovery of something. As an artist I constantly seek out and consume other works, and that broadens my viewpoint and exposes me to forms of art I didn’t know existed. It’s extremely important to me because the concept of art has made me into an open-minded person. Even if what some would see as negative aspects of life, the consumption of so many unique kinds of art has afforded me the ability to take what I can out of any situation and look at it for how it benefitted me, even if it hurt me.”

As photographers, we’ve all been trained to view the world in different ways than most. Please tell our readers, what sets you apart from the rest?

How would you describe your style of photography?

“I aim to capture mainly people, but in a surrealist manner. My goal is to help the personalities of my subjects come out visually, and to execute a creative vision exactly as it is intended. Not all of my pieces are meant to tell a “story” but all of them have the same sort of creative energy to them, and the beauty of it is that the viewer’s thoughts will be provoked regardless of my true intention of the piece. My work is made for interpretation and discovery, not analysis.”

Next, let’s talk a bit more about your works and the stories you set out to tell.

Would you mind telling us about the most valuable and important stories you’ve told, and what they’ve meant to you?

“One of my favorite sets that I’ve done is called “A Clash Of Class.” It tells the story of corporate America, the boss and the employee. I value the nuances that went into this project to drive home the points I was attempting to make. In this country, the rich get richer, and being poor is expensive. I reinforced this idea in a somewhat stereotypical fashion. The “boss” is taller, he’s always in a stance that is above the 9-5 employee. He’s dressed nicely, he also simply gives off a more dominant energy in frame. It is a story that I resonate with greatly, as I’m sure many others do. A lot of people “hate their job.” It doesn’t pay enough, they work too many hours, and it repeats over and over. I’ve never wanted to work. While saying it in that manner could make me sound lazy, it is true. I’m one of the hardest working individuals I know, but passion is paired to work for me. Whether it is art or something else, I can’t work a 9-5 my entire life. I don’t aspire to have massive amounts of wealth, but to live a happy life with people I value while doing something I love.”

For our last question, I wanted to bring up the topic of “community” and how it affects you. As artists, it’s always important to find a way to tell our stories, whether it be personal or through the use and help of the community.

in some cases, we end up creating a community through our work, which can sometimes be the most valuable and rewarding “payment.”

Would you mind sharing your opinions on community and in which ways community may have helped, or harmed your growth as an artist?

“Community is one of, if not the most important aspects of art. Most modern art takes inspiration from the constant consumption of other work. Discussion and sharing is truly a foundation of the art community, and the willingness to share is something that has truly made me gravitate towards that community especially here in Phoenix. I’ve met many kind souls through my work and hope to continue that trend. While I have met a lot of cool individuals, I don’t yet feel that I’ve found that tight-knit community or small group that I can constantly work with on a deeper level, as friends who enjoy being artists rather than on a work basis. I’m in no rush, however. While the art community here is extremely fluid and always giving new artists a chance, I think it does lack a sense of community for those who are just starting out. I try to work with anyone whose work I admire, regardless of their follower count or experience, and I think most should try and do the same when they can.”

That concludes our interview today, I want to give a special thanks to Syles Le for finding the time to join us in the Brasstuna studio.

I also want to give a huge Thank You to ExpiredCitizensByElad for providing our participants with custom 1 of 1 garments to model in studio.

You can find Syles Le on their Instagram: @syles.le

You can find ECBE on their Instagram: @expiredcitizensbyelad