22 questions with artist Skip Hunt.1- you are having your latest exhibit at House Wines?
Yes, I'm having a reception tonight with didgeridoos performing as well from 6:30-8pm: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201549896640&index=1
I've also got work at the Apothecary: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183443483400&index=1
And, Zocalo Cafe: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188609353979&index=1
2- you travel alot... recently,to Mexico. How many times you been down there,taking pictures?
I started traveling to Mexico in 1990 and really haven't stopped. It's a vast country with amazing diversity steeped in rich culture and color. Oh, and the peyote isn't half bad either. ;-) If I had to guess, I'd say I've made a little more than 30 journey's into Mexico. In 2005 I started traveling via motorcycle throughout the country.
3- how would you describe your art?
I would describe my art as hyperreal memories that make up for not being there with a bold and surreal approach at composition and use of deep color.
4- have any major influences?
My first influence as a photographer is Pete Turner. My first influence as an "artist" would be David Lynch.
5- Ansell Adams or Richard Avedon ?choose.
Richard Avedon. Mr. Avedon consistently recorded the soul like no other had.
6- you usually travel on a motorcycle... what size,model,make, and why?
I'm currently riding a 2005 Suzuki DL650. This is almost the perfect bike for Mexico. You can go off-road a little bit... it's light and handles very well in mountain curves... it's comfortable for longer distance... it's very low maintenance and reliable... and it's an inexpensive motorcycle so that if I ever had to abandon it for some reason, it wouldn't hurt as much as having to leave a $20k BMW behind. ;-)
7- suffer any breakdowns in Mexico?
Nothing major, but I have had chains go bad, flat tires, bad spark plugs, etc. Every time I've managed to find someone to help me though. Mexicans in general are much more helpful to strangers than in the U.S.
8- you have an eye for vibrant colors. Why shift to black-and-white? Isn't that like Bill Murray doing drama?
I think all creative people, once in a steady groove, should get out of their own particular sphere of comfort and try something different. I think most of the best art comes as a result of some internal conflict or problem that is somehow solved via artistic expression. Exploring outside one's creative comfort zone is also good for advancing your work in new ways while maintaining your core artistic competency.
9- where did you grow up,how was family life, small or large family?
I grew up near Edmond, Oklahoma until I was around 17yrs old. Family life was as dysfunctional as normal I suppose. I have two brothers and a sister. I'm the oldest.
10- you also have an eye for video. any projects lined up?
Have not messed around with video in a good while, but I use exploration in motion to get outside of my comfort zone like I do with shooting black and white from time to time. No projects lined up at the moment, but am getting the urge to experiment again soon I think.
11- how does your wife handle all this? She seems supportive, and patient,and appreciative of your art.
My wife understood that I'd been afflicted with the wanderbug disease when we first met. She knew that I would not be cured and she accepted that. Besides, it's nice to have time to become comfortable with being alone from time to time. It tends to build personal confidence and comfort being alone in one's own skin.
12- name your top 5 Austin restaurants.
I don't get out much to restaurants. My wife and I like the Italian food served at Reale's, McCormick & Schmicks, various taco stands, Chen's Noodle House, and Madam Mam's I guess.
13- what kind of music you listen to?
Varies wildly. Lately, I've been listening to old Skinny Puppy, Spiritualized, Bauhaus, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Jane Siberry, Steinski, Flying Lotus, Nine Inch Nails, Deerhunter, Sparklehorse, Jane's Addiction, The Flaming Lips.
To name a few. ;-)
14- who's your favorite Austin songwriter? ok,two songwriters.
I really don't know any Austin songwriters but you Tim. So I guess you would be number one. :-)
15- you also traveled to Spain? how did you swing it financially?
I stay in the cheapest possible rooms in general. If you're willing to walk down the hall to use the bathroom and can do without TV, it's really not that expensive. The trick is not going where all the tourists go. Or, if you do... go at off hours when rates are discounted. I got by in Spain for about $35 a day.
16- you met some Basque seperatistas?
No, but I did meet some Al Qaeda recruiters near Seville across the border in Tavira, Portugal. Long story. ;-)
17- where can people see that collection of pics?
I'm not sure which collection of pics you're referring to, but you can see much of my work at the following links:
http://www.skiphuntphotography.com
http://skiphunt.carbonmade.com
http://skiphuntphotography.tumblr.com
I also have a travel blog from my last trip through Mexico that I will clean out and continue for my next journey TBA. http://skiphuntvagabond.tumblr.com
18- you have a book coming out. Tell us about that.
My book is actually already available to buy online!
In 2009 from June to August, Skip Hunt traveled in Mexico on a motorcycle and blogged it all from the road.
(Excerpt from the book)
"I was thinking of how just recently I'd felt so peaceful out in the desert. How connected I felt to the earth and the ALL. And, how I felt I was at least momentarily able to experience being without my "self" and completely aware.
Now, I was listening to the chaos of the city.... to the traffic cop's whistle blasts. Hurrying past the blocks with all the junkies… car horns blasting… street vendors yelling out advertisements for their wares.
I wondered if I could ever feel the same inner peace in the harsh humanity of the city that I'd felt while alone in a serene desert. So, I stopped on the street and concentrated on the memory of the desert.
Suddenly, the noise became nothing more than a different kind of texture, but the same feeling that I had under the mountain. The "self" again melted away and there was just life. It lasted for a while but faded as I started down the busy boulevard again. Only now I was no longer tense, in a hurry, or afraid. I was just another collection of atoms and cells moving through the larger collection."
~~~
The journey began in the sacred desert region known as Huiricuta, to major cities, strange villages that induced strange deja-vu, mountains, jungle, peyote/mushroom rituals, coastline, and amazing winding roads all throughout the Sierra Madres.
These are the images & excerpts of travel musings made on this journey.
Click on this link to view a slide show with music featuring many of the images in this book!
http://vimeo.com/7268216
Disfruta!
This book is printed on Premium Paper:
"This 100-pound text silk-finish paper features improved opacity over our standard paper and stellar image quality."
19- where do people check it out,have a website they can order from?
My book is available to preview the first 15 pages and buy online through blurb: http://tinyurl.com/skiphuntvagabond
I got the soft cover version for myself, but I wish I would have got the hardcover version instead. I recently lowered the pricing on the hardcover to encourage that choice. But it's a two month wild trip through Mexico that got very exciting and very strange.. all condensed down to 40 of the best images and journal entries... minus the bugs in your teeth. ;-)
20 what are your future projects ?
I'm thinking of that right now. My goal is to continue traveling, but I need to find a way to make what I love to do be the way I earn a living. That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with this book and will do it again for the next journey, but I may work on a way to have a group of benefactors that enjoy my images and storytelling from the road... enough to finance it.
21- what type of camera gear do you employ?
At the moment I'm using Nikon dSLR gear (d300) with a variety of Nikon lenses. Main one being the 18-200mm VR zoom. For street work, I like a small compact with a great little lens on it. (Panasonic LX3)
22- At what point did you decide ,"hey,I'm good at this. I want to do it all the time,it's my niche'."?
I don't think I ever consciously made that decision. From the first time I held my mother's brand new Pentax K1000 35mm when I was about 14 years old. I worked that Summer at a motorcycle shop to earn enough money to buy my own. I never thought about whether or not I could "do this all the time... it's my niche..." etc. I just did it and have continued to do so ever since without a second thought really. I have not always been able to support myself with photography, but I have never stopped shooting. I take extended breaks from it until the urge to express myself by making new images gets built up to the point that I'm going a little crazy. Then, I just go shoot non-stop for weeks until the itch has been sufficiently scratched.
Yes, I'm having a reception tonight with didgeridoos performing as well from 6:30-8pm: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201549896640&index=1
I've also got work at the Apothecary: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183443483400&index=1
And, Zocalo Cafe: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188609353979&index=1
2- you travel alot... recently,to Mexico. How many times you been down there,taking pictures?
I started traveling to Mexico in 1990 and really haven't stopped. It's a vast country with amazing diversity steeped in rich culture and color. Oh, and the peyote isn't half bad either. ;-) If I had to guess, I'd say I've made a little more than 30 journey's into Mexico. In 2005 I started traveling via motorcycle throughout the country.
3- how would you describe your art?
I would describe my art as hyperreal memories that make up for not being there with a bold and surreal approach at composition and use of deep color.
4- have any major influences?
My first influence as a photographer is Pete Turner. My first influence as an "artist" would be David Lynch.
5- Ansell Adams or Richard Avedon ?choose.
Richard Avedon. Mr. Avedon consistently recorded the soul like no other had.
6- you usually travel on a motorcycle... what size,model,make, and why?
I'm currently riding a 2005 Suzuki DL650. This is almost the perfect bike for Mexico. You can go off-road a little bit... it's light and handles very well in mountain curves... it's comfortable for longer distance... it's very low maintenance and reliable... and it's an inexpensive motorcycle so that if I ever had to abandon it for some reason, it wouldn't hurt as much as having to leave a $20k BMW behind. ;-)
7- suffer any breakdowns in Mexico?
Nothing major, but I have had chains go bad, flat tires, bad spark plugs, etc. Every time I've managed to find someone to help me though. Mexicans in general are much more helpful to strangers than in the U.S.
8- you have an eye for vibrant colors. Why shift to black-and-white? Isn't that like Bill Murray doing drama?
I think all creative people, once in a steady groove, should get out of their own particular sphere of comfort and try something different. I think most of the best art comes as a result of some internal conflict or problem that is somehow solved via artistic expression. Exploring outside one's creative comfort zone is also good for advancing your work in new ways while maintaining your core artistic competency.
9- where did you grow up,how was family life, small or large family?
I grew up near Edmond, Oklahoma until I was around 17yrs old. Family life was as dysfunctional as normal I suppose. I have two brothers and a sister. I'm the oldest.
10- you also have an eye for video. any projects lined up?
Have not messed around with video in a good while, but I use exploration in motion to get outside of my comfort zone like I do with shooting black and white from time to time. No projects lined up at the moment, but am getting the urge to experiment again soon I think.
11- how does your wife handle all this? She seems supportive, and patient,and appreciative of your art.
My wife understood that I'd been afflicted with the wanderbug disease when we first met. She knew that I would not be cured and she accepted that. Besides, it's nice to have time to become comfortable with being alone from time to time. It tends to build personal confidence and comfort being alone in one's own skin.
12- name your top 5 Austin restaurants.
I don't get out much to restaurants. My wife and I like the Italian food served at Reale's, McCormick & Schmicks, various taco stands, Chen's Noodle House, and Madam Mam's I guess.
13- what kind of music you listen to?
Varies wildly. Lately, I've been listening to old Skinny Puppy, Spiritualized, Bauhaus, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Jane Siberry, Steinski, Flying Lotus, Nine Inch Nails, Deerhunter, Sparklehorse, Jane's Addiction, The Flaming Lips.
To name a few. ;-)
14- who's your favorite Austin songwriter? ok,two songwriters.
I really don't know any Austin songwriters but you Tim. So I guess you would be number one. :-)
15- you also traveled to Spain? how did you swing it financially?
I stay in the cheapest possible rooms in general. If you're willing to walk down the hall to use the bathroom and can do without TV, it's really not that expensive. The trick is not going where all the tourists go. Or, if you do... go at off hours when rates are discounted. I got by in Spain for about $35 a day.
16- you met some Basque seperatistas?
No, but I did meet some Al Qaeda recruiters near Seville across the border in Tavira, Portugal. Long story. ;-)
17- where can people see that collection of pics?
I'm not sure which collection of pics you're referring to, but you can see much of my work at the following links:
http://www.skiphuntphotography.com
http://skiphunt.carbonmade.com
http://skiphuntphotography.tumblr.com
I also have a travel blog from my last trip through Mexico that I will clean out and continue for my next journey TBA. http://skiphuntvagabond.tumblr.com
18- you have a book coming out. Tell us about that.
My book is actually already available to buy online!
In 2009 from June to August, Skip Hunt traveled in Mexico on a motorcycle and blogged it all from the road.
(Excerpt from the book)
"I was thinking of how just recently I'd felt so peaceful out in the desert. How connected I felt to the earth and the ALL. And, how I felt I was at least momentarily able to experience being without my "self" and completely aware.
Now, I was listening to the chaos of the city.... to the traffic cop's whistle blasts. Hurrying past the blocks with all the junkies… car horns blasting… street vendors yelling out advertisements for their wares.
I wondered if I could ever feel the same inner peace in the harsh humanity of the city that I'd felt while alone in a serene desert. So, I stopped on the street and concentrated on the memory of the desert.
Suddenly, the noise became nothing more than a different kind of texture, but the same feeling that I had under the mountain. The "self" again melted away and there was just life. It lasted for a while but faded as I started down the busy boulevard again. Only now I was no longer tense, in a hurry, or afraid. I was just another collection of atoms and cells moving through the larger collection."
~~~
The journey began in the sacred desert region known as Huiricuta, to major cities, strange villages that induced strange deja-vu, mountains, jungle, peyote/mushroom rituals, coastline, and amazing winding roads all throughout the Sierra Madres.
These are the images & excerpts of travel musings made on this journey.
Click on this link to view a slide show with music featuring many of the images in this book!
http://vimeo.com/7268216
Disfruta!
This book is printed on Premium Paper:
"This 100-pound text silk-finish paper features improved opacity over our standard paper and stellar image quality."
19- where do people check it out,have a website they can order from?
My book is available to preview the first 15 pages and buy online through blurb: http://tinyurl.com/skiphuntvagabond
I got the soft cover version for myself, but I wish I would have got the hardcover version instead. I recently lowered the pricing on the hardcover to encourage that choice. But it's a two month wild trip through Mexico that got very exciting and very strange.. all condensed down to 40 of the best images and journal entries... minus the bugs in your teeth. ;-)
20 what are your future projects ?
I'm thinking of that right now. My goal is to continue traveling, but I need to find a way to make what I love to do be the way I earn a living. That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with this book and will do it again for the next journey, but I may work on a way to have a group of benefactors that enjoy my images and storytelling from the road... enough to finance it.
21- what type of camera gear do you employ?
At the moment I'm using Nikon dSLR gear (d300) with a variety of Nikon lenses. Main one being the 18-200mm VR zoom. For street work, I like a small compact with a great little lens on it. (Panasonic LX3)
22- At what point did you decide ,"hey,I'm good at this. I want to do it all the time,it's my niche'."?
I don't think I ever consciously made that decision. From the first time I held my mother's brand new Pentax K1000 35mm when I was about 14 years old. I worked that Summer at a motorcycle shop to earn enough money to buy my own. I never thought about whether or not I could "do this all the time... it's my niche..." etc. I just did it and have continued to do so ever since without a second thought really. I have not always been able to support myself with photography, but I have never stopped shooting. I take extended breaks from it until the urge to express myself by making new images gets built up to the point that I'm going a little crazy. Then, I just go shoot non-stop for weeks until the itch has been sufficiently scratched.
