Photographer John Santerineross
John Santerineross has been a ceramist, a painter, and is now a photographer and a mixed media artist. He uses the medium which best suits the interpretations of his ideas and dreams. He now works in a historic 1870, 5000 sq. ft. loft in Kearny, New Jersey.
On your website you describe yourself as a mixed-media artist. What tools do you use to create your images? Well, I have been many things in my life: a ceramist, a painter, a mixed media artist, and now I use the materials of photography. Many people think that I digitally manipulate the images. The truth is, that while I do tonal corrections and coloring in the computer as well as the outermost borders of the image, 99% of what you see in the image is on the sets that I build. All lines or blurs are exactly that. I create a set with moving objects in it using motors to create the blurs; I then shoot at a very slow shutter speed. I see myself moving into creating moving images very soon, perhaps short art films, but I realize that I need to collaborate with a DP to accomplish this.
Dolls make frequent appearances in your photos, as do nude women. Is there a connection in your mind between the two? There are connections with everything in my images, but I leave that up to the viewer to decide for themselves what they are.
Are the elements of your photos symbolic or do you choose them exclusively for visual appeal? All of the elements in the image have meaning. I am a big believer in telling a simple story at first glance; if the viewer chooses to spend some time with the image, it can become a novel.
What artists and photographers do you enjoy? I am a big fan of all of the symbolists; my main influence in photography however is Irina Ionesco. Contemporaries range from Luis Durante to Joachim Luetke; I also enjoy the work of my friend Matt Lombard among other artists from around the world with whom I have become friends. Actually, I was very impressed by images I saw by Jeffery Scott, whose work you showcased on here.
Your first book, “Fruit of the Secret God” showcases not only your images but also poetry and fiction by three writers. Why did you choose to include the words of others with your images? I wanted to give the viewer several different ways of interpreting my images. So, I decided to include some poetry by Victoria Rimmerman, who I admire. My next book will have poetry by Cali Ford.
On your website you quote Anais Nin : “ We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” This brings to (my) mind questions about the relationship between artist and viewer. What do these words mean to you and why did you choose that quote? Everyone always asks me what my images mean. My response is to figure it out for yourself. Though I do have a very specific story to my images, I would not want to limit the viewers’ imagination by telling them what that story is. I believe in making the viewer work a little.
