Ethan James' Visual Poetry

WE FEATURED ETHAN JAMES’ WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME ON BEAUTIFULMAG NOT SO LONG AGO. AND WHILE DOING THAT WE DISCOVERED WHAT A TRUE ARTIST ETHAN REALLY IS. IN A TIME OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY, ETHAN JAMES LEARNED THE ART IN THE DARKROOM. AMIDST THE SEDUCTION OF THE NEWEST DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, HE IS LIVING PROOF OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH FLASHLIGHT AND OFF-BRAND EDITING SOFTWARE. HIS PHOTOS SPEAK FOR HIM. ETHAN JAMES IS A REAL VISUAL POET.

If pictures could talk, the photos of Ethan James would proclaim pure poetry. And as it is often the case with poems, Ethan’s photos tell a story. There is an intensity to it, and a passion. And at the same time it awakes a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. Do we need to say more? We have fallen in love with Ethan James.

Ethan, please tell us a bit about yourself.
Ethan: I'm just a regular guy from Southeast Texas who found himself in Tennessee working on a PhD that will hopefully be completed by the end of 2008. I could tell you all about my academic record, my efforts in publishing, and my scholarly work but I think that would be quite boring to endure. I guess I would have to say I'm a quirky person, and one of the biggest oddities about me would be my eating habits. My close friends know about my "list," but I'll share them with BeautifulMag readers, as well. I don't eat nor drink: candy bars, fish, sushi, pie, nuts, peanut butter, jelly, complicated cakes, liver, coconut, hard colas, coffee, and energy drinks. I do, however, love a good chianti, pasta, bread, soups/stews, chicken, steak, and all the other usual suspects. Am I quirky enough?

Children stories, horror films and male photography… explain…
Ethan: I picked up the camera in order to rejuvenate my creative energy when it was being drained out of me while writing my master's thesis, oddly enough in creative writing. It was a new way for me to channel creativity that had been altered by formal education. I know children stories, horror films, and male photography seem like an unbalanced match of elements but they are quite connected. The body is central to all of those fields, unmasking the fear and fascination with it in particular. At a base level, we are all but bodies in motion, coming into contact with pleasures, danger, and much more, but in general I try to keep horror films and children's literature for my PhD and male photography separate.

There seems to be a certain intensity in your photographic work, a tension between model and photographer, that really captures the eye. What can you tell us about your technique?
Ethan: I'm not sure if I would say there's tension between the model and photographer, but there's certainly a relationship the two forms, and that goes for any two or more people working together. This relationship can be good or bad, and the result of the interaction typically shows up in the photographs. My technique is terribly un-technical. I simply work to create an open space between myself and whomever I am working with to ensure we put out the best work possible from that interaction. For me it's all about communication and comfort because without those elements you're just taking pictures with nothing behind them. Everyone works differently so this is simply my outlook on how I work.

Your photos seem to tell a story. We are sure there are also stories behind the scenes that your work doesn’t tell. Can you share some extra ordinary situations with us?
Ethan: I have very little behind-the-scenes stories from my photoshoots. It's not that models and I don't have good times when we're working but I like to keep things focused during the actual shoot. Lots of models do come from far distances and stay with me, so there are downtimes when we play video games, watch movies, drive around the city, and such, but nothing too wild and crazy. The only semi-funny story involves shooting at night and eventually being approached (or harassed) by four police officers in two squad cars for suspicious behavior, but that's Tennessee and certainly a story that gets less and less funny the more I tell it to people.

What do you want to people to feel/experience when the look at your work?
Ethan: There is nothing in particular I want people to experience when viewing my work. I simply try to do work that can be appreciated by a variety of people, mostly working to do good work above anything else. I actually have rules about what people take away from viewing my photographs that I explain to models who worry about what some may think of a certain image. Sooner or later most realize that they cannot control what is judged in good or bad light about a photograph; opinions vary, and photography like most art is terribly subjective to the individual eye.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
Ethan: In five years I hope to be healthier, wealthier, and wiser. And to me this means I might actually start exercising, making a full living from my photography, and putting my PhD and life experience to use as much as possible. I don't have any predictions about my photography or academics, but I do hope to continue to enjoy the work in both areas. I always have projects I'm working on but there's nothing secretive I can reveal currently. I will say that the women are coming, sorry guys but they are and they might just take over for a while. Once those projects start to unwrap, maybe I'll find myself in a completely different direction but with the same goal to produce good work. In June 2008 you can find me and some of my work in the photography anthology Night Visions: Male Contemporary Photography, previously featured here at BeautifulMag. Thanks again to BeautifulMag and I hope the readers enjoy a little of my quirkiness, but most of all my photography. –B-

ETHAN JAMES | BEAUTIFUL

Comments

[Tyler Miller]

Ethan James is an awesome Photographer. he was my first photographer to work with and with the awesome pictures he took of me i got signed a month later with Evolution Model Management. thank EJ.

[Gouli]

J'aime bien le thème de la hache. Je crois que le monde est de plus en plus en rebellion. Je ne parle pas du financier, mais de l'homme "Lambda" dans le monde.