15 Questions with Aneta Ivanova for #PHOTOGRAPHY Magazine
Aneta Ivanova featured her enchanting series ‘Scars’ in #PHOTOGRAPHY issue 3, 2 years on, we catch up with her again to better explore her work, her inspirations and understand her practice.
Ameena Rojee: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where are you right now and what are you doing?
Aneta Ivanova: My name is Aneta. I am a photographer by passion, a web developer by profession and twenty-two years old. I live in Varna, Bulgaria, but I am currently in Germany visiting my sister and working on some projects.
AR: What made you want to become an artist? How did you get into photography?
AI: My mum mostly, I think. When I was a little kid I saw all her sketchbooks and was amazed by her drawing skills, then I wanted to be “like mummy” and started drawing and painting a lot.
I got my first camera when I was 12 or 13 and fell in love with taking pictures and that was the beginning. It was a really cheap digital point-and-shoot camera, but it was like a whole new world to me!
I am completely self-taught as I never got into art college. I just read and practised a lot!
AR: Your work ‘Scars’ was featured back in Issue 3; how did you come up for the concept for the work you produced? Is there a meaning behind the name?
AI: I did a lot of experimental work before ‘Scars’. I was trying to combine two images, mostly two portraits and I was not sure if I liked the results or not. Then, influenced by the work of Dan Mountford, I combined photographs of my travels with self-portraits and portraits of my sister and that was the beginning of ‘Scars’. I gave it this name because I believe that each place we visit, everything that happens to us and everything we learn leaves a mark or a scar in our minds, deep inside. These images are my scars.
AR: Your double exposures are very beautiful. Why did you choose to work this way?
AI: I think I was bored of what I was doing before, which was a lot of conceptual work and portraits. I was searching for new techniques to express my ideas and I started playing with long and multiple exposures.
AR: What inspires you?
AI: I would say that I find inspiration everywhere around me. I read, listen to music, look at art, go for long walks and dream a lot.
One of my favourite photographers is Rodney Smith, but there are so many more! It is the simplicity of his work that I love; he is able to tell a whole story in such a simple and elegant way.
AR: So, you said that you are a web designer, do you find that graphic design inspires your photography?
AI: I think that my photography inspires my graphic design! In both cases, I am a fan of the total minimalism. Everything should be clean with a lot of white space.
AR: Do you travel quite regularly?
AI: I travel as much as I can and try to visit new places at least a few times a year. Right now it is pretty hard for me to stay in one place for longer than two months.
I visited Venice this year; I was invited by Roman Tcherpak at Oi Va Voi studio. I was also lucky enough to do the Tour of Mont Blanc, which is a 10 day trekking tour in the Alps. I travelled a bit in Bulgaria, and now I am in Germany.
AR: Do you ever shoot film? Or are you mostly a digital user?
AI: I had a period of time where I was shooting film and it was probably the best way to learn the technical part of photography. Right now I am shooting mostly digital, but I do film from time to time because I enjoy it so much.
I think that every photographer needs to shoot film only, for at least six months. In my opinion, that is the only way to start thinking before taking pictures. But I do not agree that film is better than digital; both have their pros and cons and I believe that every photographer should choose which one suits them best.
Also, I think that technology gives us so many great opportunities, and we should not ignore it. Technology gives us freedom if we know how to use it.
AR: Which of your own works is your favourite and why?
AI: I think that every time I create a new photo, it becomes my favourite one. Then I take a new one and new one…
Of all my photography, I like ‘Under The Waves’ and ‘An Ode To The Sea’ the most because they are very personal, and took the most time and effort. They are dedicated to the sea, and I feel strongly attached to it.
AR: I also love your series ‘Under The Waves’, the colour is mesmerising. The decision to use colour in your double exposures, was it a recent one?
AI: There was no way to do ‘Under The Waves’ in black and white. I enjoy black and white more than colour, but this was an exception. So I had to experiment and shoot a lot until I got the results I wanted. But I think it was worth it.
AR: This is one of my favourite photographs of yours, can you give me a bit of behind-the-scenes information about it?
AI: The landscape for this image was taken in the Black Sea near my hometown, Varna.
I used underwater housing for my camera and a lot of patience to get it. The model is my sister. I wanted to create a very personal project so I decided to do three photographs — one with me as a model, and two more with my two sisters.
I’d had the idea for a long time. I was living in Germany, far away from the sea and I was missing it a lot. So when I got back home, I took the first chance to recreate what was in my head.
AR: I see you had work at a solo exhibition last year, was that a big event for you? How did it come about?
AI: It was very spontaneous but was also very special for me. It was in a gallery in my hometown and it was presented together with a poetry book for which I had created the photographs. It took me about a year to complete the project. It was quite a new experience to me, as I have never been the centre of attention until then. It was quite scary…
AR: What are you working on next?
AI: Currently, I am working on a new series which are not double exposures! Other than that, I am preparing my next solo exhibition in Sofia, Bulgaria, which is going to be in July 2015. I will be showing my most famous photographs plus some new ones, which I have not shown yet. I wanted to take a lot of time to think about everything and make this one really special! I am also working on doing final touches on a booklet that I am going to release soon.
AR: If you could shadow one artist for a day, who would it be and why?
AI: I would really be interested to learn from the classical artists. It will probably not be a photographer, but a painter. I would really love to see the creative process of Gustav Klimt for example.
I see photography only as a tool to express my ideas. I do not like to put limits on my imagination or work to fit in the description of photography or painting or whatever. If I need, I have the freedom to mix a few techniques until I get the result I want.
AR: You are very accomplished at a very young age — what would you advise to other photographers trying to get their work seen?
AI: I would advise the other photographers to work hard, to use the social media and participate in competitions. If you think your work is good enough, then search for galleries, write proposals and do not give up — it will happen!
Thank you for answering our questions!
I had great time, thank you!
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Keep an eye out for more interviews soon!
