Still life photographer Jack Wilson was born and raised in Sheffield, he moved to London to study sculpture at Central Saint Martins and transitioned into photography after leaving university. His work is featured in our December 2018 issue (out now), and we caught up with him to hear about his working practice.
Wallpaper*: Describe your style of work and process.
Jack Wilson: There’s an organised chaos in still life I always consider. I enjoy the tension in creating something on the edge of being discordant. This can come from a clash of colour, texture or opposing forms unified through composition. I want the work to have a sense of movement, which is always a good challenge when dealing with objects. To feel unconstructed is more powerful than engineered.
Left, Red Point (I). Right, Totem.
W*: What made you want to be a photographer?
Wim Wenders book Written in the West must have had some profound effects early on as that’s what instantly springs to mind. Later on I remember ‘referencing’ Hans-Peter Feldmann’s 2008 book Album and Wolfgang Tillmans Truth Study Centre a lot during university. Painting has, and always will be a source of inspiration; work by Robert Motherwell, Howard Hodgkin and John Hoyland in particular.
W*: What’s currently on your radar?
The Map and Territory by Luigi Ghirri, published by Mack Editions – a comprehensive survey of the Italian photographer’s illustrious career. Also Bright Restaurant in Hackney – from the talented guys behind P. Franco. And I keep revisiting Ellen Arkbo’s excellent album from last year For Organ & Brass on Subtext Records. §
See more from the Wallpaper* December 2018 Entertaining Special
New York
Red / Blue
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Jack Wilson website
-
Frank Stephenson’s high-flying capsule design for HALO’s balloon-powered space flightsSpace start-up HALO promises zero-emission travel to the stratosphere in a futuristic viewing capsule shaped by Frank Stephenson Design
-
Back to Black: all eyes on film-maker Sam Taylor-JohnsonBack to Black cinematographer Polly Morgan tells Wallpaper* how a shared love of French New Wave close-ups brought Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic to life
-
Formafantasma’s new collection explores nostalgia and the queer identityFormafantasma present 'La Casa Dentro' at Fondazione ICA Milano (until 19 July 2024), where they draw inspiration from the domestic sphere and their own nostalgic perceptions of home
-
Felicia Honkasalo on creative obsessions, gothic horror, and the sci-fi world of AI photographyExplore the vision of Helsinki-based artist Felicia Honkasalo in ‘Through the lens’, our monthly series spotlighting photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors
-
Photographer Maisie Cousins on nostalgia, impulsive making and ‘collecting useless things’Explore the vision of British artist Maisie Cousins in ‘Through the lens’, our monthly series spotlighting photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors
-
Wolfgang Tillmans on shaping photography as we know it: ‘I want to lay reality bare’As Wolfgang Tillmans’ retrospective ‘To Look Without Fear’ opens at MoMA, we interview the acclaimed photographer about 35 years of activism, breaking conventions and capturing ‘the weight of existence’ through the everyday
-
Photographer Tina Tyrell: ‘people can become almost symbolic of themselves’‘Through the lens’ is our monthly series that spotlights photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors. Here we explore the vision of American photographer Tina Tyrell
-
Daragh Soden: ‘I may be gagged, bound and naked under the heel of a queen, but I am in control of the image’Photographer Daragh Soden discusses his compelling series Ladies & Gentlemen, now on show at PhotoIreland
-
Photographer Mahmoud Mfinanga: ‘eBay is still one of the purest places on the internet’‘Through the lens’ is our monthly series that spotlights photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors. Here we explore the vision of Mahmoud ‘Mo’ Mfinanga
-
Thomas Struth on the day he photographed the Queen and Prince Philip: ‘It was an experiment’To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, German artist Thomas Struth looks back on the moment he created a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip: ‘It’s an exotic part of my oeuvre because of who they are’
-
Chris Levine on creating his iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II: ‘I was the wild card’For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, we spoke to artist Chris Levine about the making of his iconic hologram portraits of Her Majesty. He reflects on two years of preparation, that fateful day in Buckingham Palace, and Lightness of Being, the outtake that almost outshone the original
